Jobs

Baker

Photographed at Sophienburg Museum, New Braunfels, Texas

Most bakeries were passed down from generation to generation. The mixing bowls were hand-hewn out of pieces of cypress. A bakery usually had two sifters: one for flour and one for sugar. Immense paddles were used to place the bread in, and take it out of, the wood-fired oven. In the middle of the bread case was a glass fly trap. The flies would crawl under the trap to get to the sugar and then would not be able to escape. Tart pans, cookie cutters and other tin articles were handmade to order by tinning companies. A handcrafted crock contained hog lard-- only that and butter were available. Special cutting utensils were used to cut the dough into strips which were made into cinnamon rolls. The Germans called them "schnecken" meaning snails. The bags of flour used were made of paper and usually came from the local mills. Minnehaha was the brand of flour milled at the turn of the 19th century. The money box was placed in the oven for safe keeping when it was not in use. Therefore, the boxes were often black and burned.

Bottling works were installed in a few bakeries in the 1870s. Iron brew, ginger ale, and orange squeeze were manufactured. Orange squeeze was most popular and sold at approximately 3 cents a bottle. Ginger ale was sold especially at Christmastime to be served with Christmas cookies. It was more expensive.

Saddler

Since the horse was the only means of transportation, saddles and harnesses were in great demand. The saddler also made bridles. He was called upon a great deal.

Doctor

Photographed at Sophienburg Museum, New Braunfels, Texas

Early doctors were general practitioners. They were the family internists, surgeons, dentists, and opticians. They traveled to their patients on horseback or in buggies. House calls were the practice rather than the exception.

Shoemaker

The shoemaker used simple tools such as awls, scrapers, and knives. He had iron patterns for cutting heavy leather, as for soles. In the mid-1800s a leather-sewing machine was invented which necessitated the shoemaker staying at his shop.

Blacksmith

A craftsman at the turn of the century, the blacksmith and a set of tools (eight fingers and two thumbs) manipulated to his own design a material called iron. The fire he used had to heat the iron through a spectrum of colors. Then his tongs, swags, hammers and anvil helped him form many astonishing items. Hardly any of life's needs were untouched by the result of the blacksmith's skills; from household utensils to his own tools, the smith created items without which the everyday chores could not have been accomplished.

Pharmacist

The pharmacy was the hub of the healing arts. The druggist was sought for advice, sometimes diagnosis, and prescription.

Besides his stock of patent medicines, the pharmacist, trained in a medical school, mixed powders, elixers, ointments and pain killers for the treatment, cure and comfort of his customers. His apothecary jars and bottles were filled with such substances as Zingiber, Aqua Rose, Thymus, Indigo, Tincture of Cinchon, Epson Salts and Syrup of Scilla. He was also called upon to use his chemicals and compounds to make the blasting powder for the town.

Some doctors of the area performed minor surgery in the pharmacy before they had established offices. Many of their patients, however were treated in their own homes, in which case the doctor carried the "drug store" with him and mixed the necessary medicines at the bedside. Doctor and druggist were a close and mutually dependant partnership.

Completing the pharmacy were large glass containers of rock candy, licorice, peppermints, etc., and a soda fountain to dispense ice cream (made on the premises, of course), and sundaes.

Butcher

In 1866 there were seven butcher shops in New Braunfels. Since there was no refrigeration, meat had to be purchased daily.

Rural people had to provide their own fresh meat. Most homes had butchering equipment and sausage stuffers. Sausage of beef, or venison and pork, was made in cooler weather. It was then dried and preserved in crocks of lard for warm weather eating. Bacon and hams were cured and preserved by placing them in huge crocks of salt brines. The entire hog was used. Also made was headcheese, scrapple, pannas, blood sausage and liver sausage. Lye soap was the end result of fat scraps.

"Butcher clubs" enabed 12 to 24 families to share a whole beef every week or two. Each family took a turn butcherimg, cutting and delivering.