Before modern freezers and grocery chains, Sheridan families relied on preservation methods to keep gardens and hunts from going to waste. In the years surrounding World War I, local women organized cooperative canning projects that not only fed households through harsh winters but also contributed to the nation’s war effort.
Community Canning Encouraged by County Demonstrators
In August 1918 the Wind River Mountaineer reported that Miss Helen Corliss, the county home demonstrator, urged Fremont County housewives to form a co‑operative canning operation. She argued that coordinated action would maximize conservation of food, fuel and labor, especially if future crop shortfalls occurred.
Newark, New Jersey Model Inspires Local Action
Corliss highlighted a successful program in Newark, New Jersey, where a city‑run canning factory paid women 15 cents an hour—pay that was taken in kind as canned goods. The facility occupied a few centrally located rooms and was provided rent‑free by the municipality.
Supporting Mothers and Children
To make the program accessible to mothers with young children, a day nursery was opened nearby. Trained mother’s helpers and several Girl Scouts volunteered to supervise the children, allowing women to spend unoccupied hours preserving fruits and vegetables for winter consumption.
Patriotic Purpose During the War
With sugar rationed for civilian use, the Federal Food Administration for Wyoming clarified that housewives should not abandon canning because of limited sweetener supplies. The agency emphasized that every family needed to “put up” enough food for the winter, freeing resources for soldiers abroad.
Creative Sugar‑Free Canning Techniques
Local newspapers offered several methods for canning without sugar:
- Open kettle: Simmer fruit in a small amount of water, evaporate excess liquid, then fill sterilized cans with the hot fruit.
- Cold pack: Pack fruit tightly, add water, and steam for 20‑30 minutes; the skin bursts, releasing fruit shreds that settle at the bottom.
- Hot pack for small sour fruits: Place fruit in a hot jar, cover with boiling water, and quickly transfer the jar to a boiling water bath.
- Fruit juices without sugar: Boil extracted juice, fill sterilized jars, and seal; the juice can later flavor sauces or be used for jelly.
- Fruit in its own juice: Use naturally sweet fruit to can in its own juice, preserving shape and flavor.
- Fruit butter: Puree small or imperfect fruit, simmer with water, strain, then thicken to a dough‑like consistency before canning.
State and Inter‑State Recognition
Wyoming’s canning teams quickly earned accolades. In 1919 the state’s champion team—Misses Flora Mae Smith, Gwendolyn Mills and Norma Mumford of Sheridan—won first place at the Sioux City Inter‑state fair, beating entries from Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri. Assistant state club leader Miss Emily Linhof directed training for canning clubs throughout Wyoming and oversaw the exhibition.
Legacy of Community Service
These early 20th‑century efforts illustrate how Sheridan’s women combined practical stewardship of household resources with patriotic duty. By turning surplus garden produce into canned goods, they protected families from winter scarcity, supported the nation’s soldiers, and showcased Wyoming’s ingenuity on a regional stage.
Today’s dehydrators and home‑preservation kits echo the same spirit of self‑reliance and community cooperation that defined Sheridan’s canning heritage.
Original reporting: Sheridan Media (Sheridan WY) — read the source article.
