With Thanksgiving just around the corner, check out how cooking and baking has changed from early Clarkston residents to today with the Clarkston Heritage Museum’s latest exhibit ‘Clarkston’s Kitchens: History in Baking.?
The new exhibit celebrates cooking and eating habits in early Clarkston, when vegetables were harvested fresh from the garden and milk was delivered by one of several local dairies. It also features antique and vintage cooking utensils, photographs, recipes and other food-related artifacts.
‘Food and the people who prepare it do more than feed the body. They stir emotions and create lasting memories,? said Toni Smith, Clarkston Heritage Museum curator. ‘Who doesn’t associate a favorite meal with a birthday, a holiday or a special homecoming? From the photos we’ve collected, museum visitors will see how food brought Clarkston residents together.?
With emphasis today on obesity and unhealthy eating, Smith said the exhibit also sheds light on changing dietary habits.
‘For many of our early residents, food was not always plentiful. Our ancestors didn’t do a lot of snacking, like we do today,? she said. ‘Everything was seasonal ? there were no tomatoes to enjoy in March if you didn’t can them the previous summer.?
The Clarkston Heritage Museum is located in the Independence Township Library, 6495 Clarkston Road and is open during regular library hours. For more information call the CCHS office at 248-922-0270 or visit www.clarkstonhistorical.org.