Hoosier Cabinets

On October 12, Danny Dozier generously brought by his grandmother’s Hoosier cabinet for our Smithsonian Institution/OIRM “A Taste of Community” exhibit. This beautifully constructed cabinet is even more unique because it was purchased new in downtown Batesville from Crouch Furniture. Close examination of the butterfly closures dates the cabinet somewhere in the 1930s.

The Hoosier Manufacturing Company met a need for many kitchens at the turn of the 20^th century: areas to store food within close proximity of a work space. At the time Hoosier cabinets were manufactured (1880s – 1942), most kitchens did not include cabinetry – a fault not remedied until the 1930s. Kitchen owners were also faced with a lack of counter space to prepare meals. The Hoosier cabinet met both these needs in a variety of colors and details. The moniker “Hoosier cabinet” derives from the home state of the company – Indiana. As a brand name, Hoosier cabinets were also manufactured by companies other than The Hoosier Manufacturing Company, with the main gist of the name falling on the state of manufacture. If it came from Indiana, they were known unofficially as Hoosier cabinets.

These cabinets ranged in price from $12.75 to $50.50 in the 1940s, and at their peak one in every ten American homes contained a Hoosier cabinet. As new homes were constructed with ample storage and the Great Depression strangled the economy, the popularity of the Hoosier cabinet diminished. Today, Hoosier cabinets can fetch a pretty penny depending on condition and size.

This cabinet was lovingly “antiqued” by Danny’s mother, who inherited the cabinet from her mother. Danny recalls the cabinet in his family home throughout his life. He and his siblings have graciously loaned the Hoosier cabinet to Old Independence Regional Museum for the duration of our “A Taste of Community” exhibit. Interested in donating or loaning a food-related item to OIRM? Contact us at 793-2121. Interested in seeing the exhibit? Visit us beginning January 2024. We will see you at the museum!

Minute Man of America Restaurant

Proprietor Wes Hall opened Arkansas’ native Minute Man of America restaurant chain in Little Rock in 1948. With steady growth, the chain reached 57 company-owned and franchised restaurants by the early 1970s, expanding beyond Arkansas to seven nearby states. 

Raytheon Company took an interest in Minute Man, shipping its latest technology, a RadaRange microwave oven to its flagship Little Rock location in 1948. At the time, it was one of three experimental microwaves released by Raytheon. Imagine a restaurant nowadays advertising cooking with a microwave!

Consider how Minute Man pioneered fast food service with several gimmicks that have been taken up by restaurant chains across the United States. Burger King was so taken with the idea of a specific meal marketed to children they bought the Magic Meal name and used it for advertising in the 1980s. Minute Man also gave away free glasses with the purchase of a Coca-Cola product, which was a brand new concept. And Wendy’s adopted and paid for Minute Man’s “old-fashioned hamburgers” slogan. 

Locally, Jerry and Connie Townsley operated a Minute Man at 595 St. Louis from 1974 – 1981. Today one Minute Man restaurant remains, located in El Dorado. 

The accompanying picture is of the 1974 Newport High School Homecoming court. Sponsors fill the program, and Minute Man is boldly displayed on the bottom of one of the program’s initial pages.

OIRM will showcase Minute Man in its “A Taste of Community” exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. Come by and learn about the history of foods from your area beginning January 2024 at OIRM!

Grapette

Working on the joint venture from the Smithsonian and OIRM has brought so many local histories to light for me. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others and the vast amount of knowledge our patrons have to share.

One of the stories we will tell for the “A Taste of Community” exhibit concerns Grapette. Originating in Camden, AR, in 1932 as Fooks Flavors, Benjamin “Tyndle” Fooks was inspired to create the ultimate grape soda because, in his opinion, nothing on the market was worth drinking. After half a dozen years and thousands of formulas, Fooks hit upon his favorite, purchasing the Grapette name (along with Orangette and Lemonette names) from Rube Goldstein for $500. It was well worth the cost.

With most soft drinks sold in 12-ounce bottles, Grapette broke the mold, selling 6-ounce, clear bottles to showcase the soda’s color. Consumers were indeed enchanted, and found the flavor was worthy of the packaging. 

World War II was a time of rationing, and manufacturers were no exception. Grapette’s formula called for its sugar to be liquefied, forming a syrup. Because syrups were not rationed, Grapette’s sales soared during the war. 

In the 1960s Fooks sold Grapette, which changed hands several times before a hostile takeover by PepsiCo caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC told PepsiCo to divest many of its sodas before it declared a monopoly on the market. PepsiCo sold Grapette to a company that already had a grape soda, so the name and recipe were retired…in the United States. Internationally, Grapette was still marketed as Grapette International. The international business eventually passed to the owner’s son-in-law, Brooks Rice. 

Brooks did not have legal rights to the Grapette name in the United States, but sold the idea of resurrecting the soda to Sam Walton, who took him up on the offer simply because Sam loved Grapette’s flavor. By 1989, the flavor was sold under the Ozarks Farms name in Walmarts across the United States. When Sam Walton passed away, the Ozarks Farms name was changed to Sam’s Choice.  In 2000, Rice finally gained rights to the Grapette name and products hit the shelves again, but exclusively at Walmart.

Today you can purchase Grapette in 2-liter bottles in Walmart. Our local Walmart also carries tiny cans of Orangette soda. The company is still owned by a Rice – David Rice. David is sending memorabilia pertaining to Grapette to OIRM in time for our January premiere of “A Taste of Community”. Our ambition is to have Grapette on hand to sell to our visitors as they enjoy the exhibit. Come by in January to see – and taste – an Arkansas native, Grapette!

Ideal Bread

One of the joys of living in a farming community is locally-sourced foods. To that end, we have many farmers and small business owners who have been able to successfully scale up their operations to create multi-million dollar businesses.

One of those success stories belongs to Mr. Elmer Cochran, Sr. Mr. Cochran began working in the bread industry as a deliveryman, shuttling loaves of Myers Bread to customers. A little over a decade later, Cochran bought a share of an independent bakery in Batesville called Ideal Baking Company. Through sheer perseverance and great business acumen, Cochran purchased Ideal Baking Company in 1947 and led the bread company for more than four decades.

Ideal began with seven employees when Mr. Cochran became owner; forty years later the company earned over $10 million in gross sales per year and employed close to 300 people. In 2002, Ideal was purchased by Flowers Bakery and is still considered a family-owned business.

Ms. Cochran donated a scrapbook of pictures and news articles pertaining to Ideal Bread’s history along with a ceramic Ideal plaque and a commemorative Ideal watch. She generously allowed us to present these items in our joint venture with the Smithsonian Institution to present “A Taste of Community” opening in January 2024. If you have any items you believe are worthy of being part of this magnificent exhibit, please call 793-2121.