The Jewetts arrived in Saginaw early.
By the 1820s, Eleazer Jewett had settled at Green Point – where the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee Rivers meet to form the Saginaw River. In 1831, he was joined by his new bride Azubah Miller, for whom he constructed what is believed to be the first frame residence in Saginaw. In the 1830s, they moved into Saginaw City, where they operated a hotel. About 1856, the Jewetts moved to Mackinaw Road in Kochville Township – they had to clear the land before it became a farm. Although much less isolated than their first home at Green Point, they were still more than a ¼ mile from neighbors. By the late 1850s, they took in Henry Fisher, a seven-year-old orphaned child related through marriage. A story of Azubah Jewett’s resourcefulness and ability to think quickly has been passed down through the family of Henry Fisher:
One day a man arrived at the Jewett home and asked for a meal. While Azubah Jewett was known for her hospitality, she was wary of the visitor. Only she and Henry were at home, and she had no idea when Judge Jewett would return. Although she invited the caller to join them for dinner, she pulled Henry aside and instructed him to follow her instructions precisely and without questioning. Henry was told to set the table for at least six people. As Azubah started to prepare a meal, she emphasized Judge Jewett would soon be arriving and would be accompanied by a large group of his associates. She and Henry started their preparations for the party of hungry guests. Although the exact menu being prepared has been lost to history, potatoes were the centerpiece – at least of the story. Henry was instructed to peel potatoes – vast quantities of potatoes. Throughout their preparations, she emphasized the imminent arrival of Judge Jewett and the size of the party of hungry men with whom he was traveling--and, of course, they would be pleased to host their guest.
Soon, the visitor became uncomfortable and departed without eating – even a single potato. When Judge Jewett arrived home much later and alone – in fact, it may have been days later, he was able to identify the visitor as a wanted criminal. Of course, members of the Jewett household inevitably dined on meals that included potatoes. [Over the course of more than a 160-plus years of retelling, some details – especially the quantity of the potatoes and who peeled them have wavered a bit; however, the thrust of Mrs. Jewett’s resourcefulness and ability to act quickly under pressure remains constant.]
If you are seeking more information about Mrs. Jewett, we have included an image of her obituary. Also, some of her letters are preserved in the collection of the University of Michigan’s Clements Library. The finding aid provides a brief biography of the Jewetts.
The Recipe: Mashed Potatoes
As we assume you have been practicing your potato peeling skills while reading this story and will need to do something with peeled potatoes, we offer a simple 1881 recipe – actually more of a guide than a recipe - for preparing mashed potatoes.
“Mashed Potato. – To make it light and delicate, beat it with a spoon after you have seasoned it. Mash it well, salting first. It is often made too salt for my taste, and as I cannot take out the salt. It sometimes seems to me it would be quite fair to put in only a little and those who do not care to taste something else but salt in their food can add it at their pleasure. Butter is sometimes added when the potato is mashed, but I think thin cream the best of anything, and next to this good sweet milk. Now stir all thoroughly together, beat it well with a large spoon. The product is something quite superior to lumpy, poorly seasoned potatoes often found. A dish may be called ‘well seasoned’ when only enough good seasoning is used, and that properly put into or upon it.” (Saginaw Evening News, May 2, 1881.)
CTK Interpretation of the 1881 recipe:
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and quartered, we used Russets
1 cup milk or light cream
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
After gathering ingredients and preparing potatoes, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and simmer until tender. About 20+ minutes.
When potatoes are nearly cooked, heat milk and butter in a separate pan. Heat until butter is melted.
Drain potatoes and return to pot. Slowly add heated milk\butter mixture and mash using a potato masher.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
As the 1881 recipe was nearly useless, guidance for this recipe came from AllRecipes.com
CTK NOTES:
There are many other methods of mashing potatoes; however, we were too busy peeling to evaluate them. (And yes Mrs. Jewett’s technique works. The CTK was having routine service work done on the furnace. When the technician saw the vast quantities of potatoes being peeled, he left as soon as the service call was complete.)