Bloomington Illinois Newspaper

Museum exhibit shows central Illinois food traditions

“Come & Get It! The Way We Ate 1830-2008”

Through Jan. 28, 2012

McLean County Museum of History, 200 N. Main St., Bloomington

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and Monday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday

Cost: Suggested donation of $5 for adults and $4 for seniors. Free for children, students with ID and everyone on Tuesdays.

Information: www.McHistory.org or (309) 827-0428

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Most people snicker when they walk into the 1970’s-style American kitchen that’s part of the exhibit “Come & Get It! The Way We Ate 1830-2008” at the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington.

“They say, ‘Hey, this looks like my grandmother’s kitchen’ or “This is the kitchen of my childhood,’ ” said Susan Hartzold, curator of collections and exhibits at the private, not-for-profit museum.

The kitchen — one of four representing historical eras — is anchored by harvest gold appliances, prefabricated cabinets and a linoleum floor.

Scattered about the room are Pyrex mixing bowls, an electric frying pan, an early-model Crock-Pot, Revereware saucepans, a percolating coffeepot, a Mirro electric popcorn popper, copper Jell-O molds, a fondue pot, a pig-shaped wooden cutting board, a flower-covered canister set, a Sunbeam Mixmaster stand mixer and — the ultimate decorative ode to a groovy decade — a macramé owl wall hanging.

“I still have some of these gadgets and they still work,” said Nancy Dunlap, a Bloomington retail clerk visiting the exhibit for the second time.

The display, on the museum’s third floor until January 28, 2012, explores the eating habits, cooking methods and food traditions of central Illinoisans since the early 1800s.

You can learn, for example, that honey gathering — called “bee hunting” in the frontier years — was a man’s job that involved cutting down a tree. A 1,000-pound batch of honey could fetch $60 in Chicago.

Or that German food became “verboten” during World War I. A self-appointed national body of “regulators” determined that all things Deutsch were unpatriotic. The hamburger, named after the German town of Hamburg, was referred to as “liberty steak” and sauerkraut was called “liberty cabbage.”

The exhibit is the result of three years of research and five months of design and construction. Many of the artifacts belong to the museum, but additional pieces were loaned by local residents after a call for them was run in a newspaper.

Bloomington Gold 2011: The Rest of the Story — Corvette: Sales ...

The GoldMine

If a potential bidding frenzy and buyer fees aren’t for you then you can check out numerous Corvettes for sale in the GoldMine. Dealers and private owners from all over bring Corvettes in hopes of sending them off to new homes. Likewise eager buyers can comb the front parking lot along Route 64 for their next dream machine or project. This years Goldmine seemed to have more “attainable” cars than in recent years as the market continues to adjust itself.

The GoldMarket

If you need a hard to find part or accessory, you can take a stroll through the GoldMarket. Although media like eBay and Craigslist have affected the size of the GoldMarket over the last several years, the swap meet and vendor areas are sure to still have something for everyone. For example, on Thursday and Friday this year sweat shirts and jackets were in especially high demand. People like Corvette Central (http://corvettecentral.com) and other well known Corvette parts houses are almost always present at Bloomington. As an added bonus, you could take your ride over to the installers ally and have your newly purchased exhaust system installed. That’s a pretty handy way to get your new parts home without hauling them inside your Corvette!

The GoldTour

And don’t forget about the hundreds of Corvettes zipping along the back roads of northern Illinois on the GoldTour. This event made its return after a 1 year hiatus. Although the weather was a little drizzly at times, tons of America’s sports car came out for the tour. We haven’t seen any official numbers yet, but we estimate somewhere around 750 -1,000 (maybe more) were present. It was nice to see a lot of early Corvettes out getting exercised even in the “iffy” weather.

The Golf Course

Lastly, what’s better than just wandering around and checking out thousands of Corvettes together in a spectacular setting? One of the best parts of Bloomington Gold is simply wandering through the parking lot. In this case the parking lot is a beautifully manicured, lush, green golf course. Countless Corvettes dot the fairways of Pheasant Run as their owners meander through the show. Here’s a free CorvetteBlogger tip: towards the end of the day head out back to one of the main exits with a chair. Park yourself in the shade and watch all the cars file out.

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