But oyster farming became necessary to
meet the demand
.
Oysters were transported by wagon freight
and were kept cold with ice from the local ice
houses on the route
The oysters were fed a
mixture of salt water and corn meal poured
down through the barrels
They stayed fat
and healthy on their journey
A six to eight-
inch oyster was common place.
Oysters were a thrilling and exotic fare for
people of the Old West whose diet consisted
largely of pork fat, flour, and beans.
Champagne and cold oysters were a favorite
in Santa Fe, NM and Lincoln was famous in
Illinois for his oyster roasts.
Pickled oysters
were a favorite of the nineteenth-century, in
fact, President U.S
Grant was known to have
liked them better than almost any other food.
