(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
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Although Americans could buy dishes and tools for cooking and eating, many people made their own. A family story says that David Ryther of Bernardston, Massachusetts, carved this wooden bowl and dipper in about 1790. Dishes made of wood or pewter were in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Most meals were part-liquid such as stews, soups, and mushes that could be put into a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Pottery plates and cups became common after 1800.