(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 purchase dishes and utensils for cooking and eating, many people made their own. Family tradition says that David Ryther of Bernardston, Massachusetts, carved this wooden bowl and dipper in about 1790. Bowls and utensils made of wood or pewter were the most common tableware in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Most foods were semi-liquid meals such as stews, soups, and mushes that could be ladled into a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Earthenware plates and cups became common after 1800.