Clopton, Florence Lillian (Trumpower)

[MANUSCRIPT] [COOKERY] [ARCHIVE] Eleven Handmade Cookbooks

Madison, Kansas: 1940s-1950s. Florence Lillian (Trumpower) Clopton 1900-1973. Florence Lillian Clopton's legacy lives through the eleven handwritten cookbooks she left behind, illustrating the spirit of rural American homemaking in the mid-20th century. Her recipes offer a window into a world where food, family, and community were deeply intertwined, and where radio served as both a lifeline and a source of inspiration for countless women like her.

Her recipes, mostly handwritten with some printed clippings pasted or pinned in, showcase a wide array of recipes: cakes, pies, puddings, breads, rolls, dumplings, fritters, cobblers, cookies, biscuits, doughnuts, ice cream, salads, candies, and instructions for meat curing, brining, canning pickling, and soap making. Remedies for ailments like arthritis and snake bites, as well as household solutions for varnish removal and pest control, reflect the resourcefulness of a rural homemaker.

Florence's cookbooks are filled with recipes attributed to friends and family. Florence also followed the radio programs on Stations KMA and KFNF especially "A-Della Homemaker," Home Hour", and "KMA Party Line" - centered on the daily lives of rural woman. Adella Shoemaker, hosted a show from her own kitchen making listeners feel like they were out visiting friends. These cookbooks also reflect the influence of radio homemakers, with recipes like "T.V. mixture" (a homemade Chex mix), and main courses such as salmon loaf, mushroom skillet meal, Spanish chicken, pork chop casserole, and meat loaf.

Florence's handwritten cookbooks are a testament to her devotion as a cook and role as a keeper of tradition. Florence was married to William Ray Clopton, a farmer/rancher. The couple never had any children. Item #4622

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