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Abe Lincoln

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich...strengthen the weak by weakening the strong...bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift...lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down...build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence...help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." -Abraham Lincoln

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

What is it Wednesday

Welcome to another What is it Wednesday.  Today I have a metal lunch box, and a lunch pail.  The one on the right is called a lunch pail, and the one on the left a lunch box.  Both where used my school children to carry their lunches to school.  The lunch box on the left is by The American Thermos Bottle Company, from Norwich, Conn., USA.  This lunch box was made before 1963, and the Post Office changing the State abbreviation for zip codes. The one on the right is unknown.  The pail was used by school children, and looks like a  miner lunch pail.  Sandwiches where made from homemade bread wrapped up in wax paper, with fruit, and a cookie.  No ice packs, no worries about spoiled lunches.  What happened?  If you did not take a lunch to school, and your school offer a lunch program you could also purchase your lunch for about a nickel.  Check out The Food Timeline for a quick history on school lunches, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html#aboutlunch.  Lunch pails where made in the USA by Thermos Company, now they come from China.  No ice packs, no plastic bags, no prepackaged food, you had a sandwiches from what was dinner the night before.  If you where lucky enough to buy your lunch, it was made in the school by ladies who showed up early in the morning, and cooked the food.  Today the food comes in prepackaged, and heated up or fried.  The ladies who cooked out hunch made sure we ate good food, and a well balanced diet.  Today the government is in charged of breakfast and lunch, and the children are now over weight, and under nourished.  What happened?  My favorite lunch box (metal) had the Jetson's on it (one of my favorite shows growing up), what was your favorite lunch box.

9 comments:

TeresaM said...

A very interesting post Rose! It is so sad what we have become!!! My son has a hard time even at college adjusting to their food everytime he goes back after being home on breaks! Love the lunch pail!

Bette said...

How cool to have one of those old lunch pails.

PioneerLoft said...

I don't recall a favorite lunchbox as a kid, but I have a really kewl one that's graniteware. Is there some way I can make a link for you to see it? Or do I need to put it on my blog? Love this article.

We have a local elementary school that doesn't have an official "lunch room" and all "poor kids" (don't mean financially here) have to eat at their desks. So, we keep getting asked to pay more taxes to build a new cafeteria. Sorry, but I think there's nothing wrong with eating at your desk. They still provide food for those kids that need help, so what's the problem? Our modern times seem to make us think we deserve so much that really isn't necessary at all.

KEEPSAKE KORNER said...

Enjoyed this historical feature ! Thank you for bringing this information to the internet!
Hugs
Susan

Michele said...

Rose - We shared the same lunch box AND the Jetson's was one of my favorite cartoons! I'm telling ya, the world will some day be just like the Jetson's....how fun! ~.~

Firecracker Kid said...

Ah, nice post Rose. I love those old lunch pails and boxes. I didn't have a lunch box growing up. We were on the free lunch program. I sure would've loved to carry one to school though.

My Colonial Home said...

What a great and interesting post.
I love the older lunch pail.
Karen

Harvest Moon Primitives said...

oh neat looking...I like the pail the best..

Valley Primitives Gift Shoppe said...

Love this post Rose...actually I've loved all of them :) The pail is my favorite. I know I had lots of different lunch boxes growing up, but I can't really remember one that sticks out the most.
Kim