When it comes to clichés, nothing takes the cake like sliced bread.
But did you know, there was a time back in the day when you couldn’t even buy sliced bread? That was in the early 1940s during the second world war when the U.S. government banned the sale of pre-sliced bread for about two months.
This was just one of the trivial tidbits shared Tuesday after the Balaton Area Historical Society at its annual business meeting and membership drive.
Donning special aprons, historical society members Pam Johnson and Mary Ellen Mattson eyes lit up and they shared a number of bakery-related facts Tuesday, and most of them had a local flavor.
The did-you-knows — with some clever bread jokes sprinkled in-between throughout the program — included the earliest record of a bakery in Balaton, which goes back to 1917 — the same year the Gem Theatre was built. It was the Stadler Bakery and Restaurant in the Lena Eng building on the corner of Lake Avenue and Third St. (Main Street.)
Mattson noted that that was a very important era in Balaton’s history.
“In 1917, every brick building downtown here in Balaton was built that year,” Mattson said. “That was quite a progressive time.”
In 1923, a grand opening was held for the Balaton Bakery in the former Post Office building.
The historical society highlighted a number of bakeries through advertisements that were published in the former Balaton newspaper. The famous slogan of the Balaton Bakery, run by H.A. Libby, was “Buy Balaton Baked Bread.”
“The Libbys were here the longest of any of the bakery people,” said Mattson.
Going into the 1930s, the Herron Home Bakery in 1934 sold a one-and-a-half pound loaf of bread for 11 cents.
“The advertisement also stated, ‘For a limited time, we’re going to bring in a special baker to serve the public with many new and fancy pastries, such as cinnamon sticks, raspberry rolls, white radio rolls, coffee rings with raspberry jam and apple rolls,’” Mattson said. “I’m ready for lunch!”
And there was another bakery in town in 1934 — the Ness Bakeshop and Lunchroom. That opened on March 24 of that year and featured fresh bread daily, white and wheat Swedish rye rolls and pastries of all kinds.
Also in December 1934, the Balaton Bakery changed hands, as the Table Queen Bakery opened under William Derenberger. In 1939, Beede’s Bakery and Art Nelson’s Pastry Shop in the Somermeyer building served the residents.
Johnson noted that small-town, local bakeries declined greatly in the early to mid-20th century, as industrial, mass-produced bread replaced the more traditional labor-intensive methods of making bread. By 1941, Johnson noted, 85% of bread consumed in the United States was factorymade, forcing many local, independent bakeries to close.
And back to sliced bread: That was first sold in 1928 by the Chillicothe Baking Company out of Missouri. By 1933, about 80% of bread sold in the U.S. was pre-sliced. After sliced bread was banned, the Department of Agriculture rescinded its order banning the slicing of bread, and the next morning, Pan-O-Gold bread was back on the shelves.
The 1970s saw an influx of home-based bakeries in Balaton — names that were shared who made bread at home included Joyce and Pop Popowski, Mary Spoelstra, Irma Fedde, Alta Gifford, Jen Scherbart, Julie Wieme and Ruth Lenhoff.
In 1984, Karmel Kitchen opened on the south side of 3rd St. and was owned and operated by John and Shirley Martin.
Current home bakers Jaryn Fricke and Alex Cowell were on hand Monday, selling their bread and treats and answering any questions guests at the program had.
