Jackson Purchase Historical Society

“‘I recollect when Daddy made a gritter from a board and piece of metal.  After he gritted the corn, Mom made such good gritted corn bread, crackling’ bread also.’  Editor’s Note…I had never heard of “gritted corn bread” so I asked my parents about it.  They knew what I was talking about immediately.  They said that in the fall, when the corn was beyond ripe, but not yet dried completely, the ears of corn would be pulled and grated and made into something between a bread and a pudding in texture.  They said people used to make their own “gritters” (graters) by taking a lard bucket lid or such and punching holes in it with a nail.  Then all people had to do was use the side of the metal flared out from to grate their food.  I thought that was pretty smart.

Home “gritters” were probably only one of many pieces of life of yesterday that are no longer around.   They were taken for granted in that era.  Now there is a whole generation who never heard of such things.  How many other things are being forgotten.”

-Excerpt from column,  Mountain Memories, written by Louzilla Patrick appearing in the January 1985 issue, page 21, of The Mountain Laurel, a monthly Journal of Mountain Life by Laurel Publications, Inc., Meadows of Dan,  Va. 24120

Dear History Buff visitors:  What “other things” do you know of.  If you will share them, we’ll post them!!

April 6th of every year is National Tartan Day which honors those Americans of Scottish descent.  Kentucky’s tartan is shown here, woven into a sash, and worn by Jackson Purchase Historical Society President Sarah Strange at the Society’s Fall Meeting, November 14, 2009.

In 2001, Glasgow, Kentucky was the host of the International Highland Games and the Kentucky Tartan was, it is believed, worn first there.

The tartan is green, bluegreen, blue, grey,  yellow, red, white and black in color; each color represents a different attribute of the state and its citizens.  For a more detailed discussion, see the History of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Tartan at www.kentuckyunited.org/tartan1.html.

There are different ways to wear the sash, each according to the different circumstances of the wearer.   Sarah is wearing the style worn by a Clan Woman.  Other styles are for women who are wifes of Clan Chiefs or Colonels of Scottish Regiments,  women who have married out of their clans but who still wish to use their original clan tartan, and a style for women who for one reason or another (dancing!) want to keep the front of their dress clear of the sash.  For a discussion and pictures of these styles, see the website of the Clan Gregor at www.clangregor.org/history-tartan-women.html.