Where to shop for Your Holiday Meals: The Hayden Fancy Grocery Company
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
“Hayden’s Easter Offerings; No store in Saginaw can be compared with Hayden’s from the standpoint of cleanliness (both clerks and stock). Quality (we handle only the good and pure). Service (endeavoring to be prompt, obliging and careful), prices (always the lowest consistent with quality, unqualifying refusing to handle ‘seconds,’ ‘off brands,’ etc., etc.) ABSOLUTE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED."
-The Saginaw Evening News, April 17, 1908.
Located in the Chase Block, 114-120 North Washington Avenue, one of the earliest records we have located for the Hayden Fancy Grocery Company is a May 12, 1891, announcement: “The Hayden Fancy Grocery company, limited will tomorrow open their new store in the Chase block, Washington avenue, opposite Morley Bros.’ The stock and store are both out of the ordinary and should be seen by all lovers of choice viands.”* Less than two months earlier the paper had reported that the Chase Block had been completely remodeled for E.W. Morley.
Although the somewhat enigmatic M.M. Hayden, after whom the store was apparently named, left the business only a year after it opened on North Washington avenue, the business prospered. Improvements and events at the store were fully detailed in the paper – if the event wasn’t covered by the press, they purchased an advertisement.
One interesting program provides a perfect connection to today’s recipe:
“We are going to interest the ladies at our store this week, commencing today with a practical demonstration of Salad making for the purpose of showing up the good qualities of Royal Salad Dressing. Come in and see how many ways it can be used and try the salad made with it.
John A. Campbell, the head chef in the Culinary Department of the administration Building, the leading catering establishment at the Columbian Exposition has written a booklet, entitled ‘How To Make Salads,’ which will be presented to each lady patron free.
Chick, Salmons, Lobster Salad will be served and the making illustrated by Mrs. G.W. Beatty, a lady who has many new tempting dishes to show, Appreciating dainty dishes herself she takes pleasure in explaining them to others,
A most cordial invitation is extended to all. Hayden Grocery Co.” (The Saginaw Evening News, September 16, 1895.)
For the September 27-30, 1898, Saginaw Street Fair and Peace Jubilee, the Hayden Grocery Company created a display befitting the event’s theme of celebrating the United States' recent victory in the Spanish American War – The Hayden Grocery constructed a fort from bags of flour – we keep pondering what would happen if it rained. Directly across the street, Morley Brothers Hardware displayed a model of a ship.
Space doesn’t permit us to explore the details of a new cellar constructed under the building for E.W. Morley, the firm’s advertisement for a cat to solve the mouse problem, or…
In 1914, the Hayden Fancy Grocery Company was sold.
*The Evening News, May 12, 1891.
The Recipe: Spring Salad, Cafeteria Style
We chose a simple recipe for spring – or Easter. As guidance, we tried to select a dish that utilized items advertised by Hayden’s Fancy Grocery Company.
Spring Salad, Cafeteria Style
Two large heads of lettuce shredded, 3 stalks of celery cut fine, 6 hard boiled eggs sliced, 2 bunches of radishes sliced, 4 young cooked carrots sliced, ½ green pepper, ¼ large Spanish onion chopped and 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Toss all together with French dressing.* (The Saginaw Cookbook, published by First Congregational Church, 1929 edition.)
CTK NOTES:
We followed the instructions and it was quite good. Yes, we did boil the carrots; however they were not young.
*An important note about French dressing: Although today we think of French dressing as a thick reddish colored mixture poured from a bottle, until well into the mid-twentieth century, French dressing was defined as a vinaigrette. This link will take you to a history of French dressing and a period-appropriate recipe.