1913 photo from the SC Wilcox Farm
Making Syrup – photo credit: Don Harrison, NM Photo Postcards
Was there any a time when there was no maple syrup for our pancakes? The Chippewa and Ottawas have a legend that begins with a god named “NenawBozhoo”. He saw that his peoples were becoming lazy as they drank the pure maple syrup from maple trees rather than hut and forage for food. He cast a spell on the maples that made their sap watery so it required processing before it could be consumed. While this may be just a legend, we do know early Native Americans gathered maple sap and put it outdoors in wide shallow bark vessels to freeze. This would separate the sugary syrup from the water, which would freeze. They would toss off the frozen top, and there would be their syrup underneath.
You can see the steam rising from the vent in the roof of this Sugar Shack. Often they were located in a Sugar Bush or Maple woods. – Photo: Northern Michigan Photo Postcards
Introduction of Horse Drawn Sleds
By the 1800’s the introduction of horse drawn sleds made transporting sap to where they would boil it faster and less tedious than hand carrying it. Usually this was outside in large cast iron kettles over a large fire. The fire was constantly kept burning for days.
At the end of the 18th century sugarhouses or “sugar shacks” were being built. These shacks were better places for the sap to be boiled down to syrup. In the off season, these little buildings were used for blacksmithing or carpentry shops. I love that the ladies had the last word as to whether the sap had boiled long enough to be sweet enough for pancakes as in the photo below.
The ladies have come down to test the syrup for sweetness. From their smiles I think it passed the test.
Photo: UpNorth Memories Postcards and Paper Collectibles