On January 20, 1913, the Albion Lumber Co. ordered sixty dozen eggs from the J. T. Farrer Store in downtown Boonville. The eggs were packed in two wooden egg cases, which each held thirty dozen eggs. At 25¢ a dozen, the bill came to $15. At the bottom of the bill was a note reminding the Albion Lumber Co. to be sure to return the empty egg cases, because they were not included in the price.
The order was probably made by hand-cranked telephone from the lumber mill in Albion. It would have taken a telephone operator in Albion and another in Boonville to complete the call. The two cases of eggs were probably taken by stage from the store in Boonville to the railroad at Christine Landing. [At the time, the stage companies were in the process of switching over from horse drawn coaches to gasoline engine powered vehicles.] The train probably took the cases of eggs from Christine Landing to the Albion Lumber Co. mill in Albion. [Christine Landing was located across the highway from what is now Handley Cellars.]
Back in 1913, there was an “egg economy” in Anderson Valley. Many homesteaders and farmers raised chickens and some store owners would trade eggs for other items, such as coffee and sugar. The store owner would have to trust the customer that the eggs were fresh, because there was no electricity or refrigeration in Anderson Valley at the time. Cooks would crack an egg into a tea cup and check it out before adding it to the item they were cooking on the stove.
Many of the folks who raised chickens were women. Back in 1913, women were expected to wear a high necked, long sleeved, floor length dress and they often wore corsets. Raising chickens was one of the few farming activities they could do. Old timers will tell you they have heard stories of women saving the family from a financial problem with the “egg money.”
The Anderson Valley Museum has a display featuring the J. T. Farrer Store and it has several manikins showing how women dressed back in the day. It's open on weekends from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Great piece. Yes, chickens. Not just here, but all over rural America at the time. When the “egg money” saved a family, it likely meant the family ate no eggs. Protein came from a hen too old to lay, That hen was tough and only suited for boiling. Of course deer, and squirrels were a good. source of. protein as well. “Chicken. hawks”, foxes, wildcats, lions, bears, and coons were on the shoot when seen list, too. It was a different. time.