Eggs

Chickens spent their days in the farmyard, foraging for food, but at night they needed a place to roost above the reach of foxes, raccoons, and other nocturnal hunters. Farm families built specialized shelters with places for chickens to rest and boxes where hens could lay their eggs. It was easier to gather eggs from these laying boxes than to hunt around for them in barnyard nests.

Life on a farm involved many chores, such as taking care of chickens and gathering eggs. Eggs were important to farm families not only as food -- they could be sold for extra money. This wooden bowl, used to collect eggs in the late 1800s, has flared sides that created additional surface area for eggs to rest on and reduced damage to their fragile shells.

Farms specializing in egg production emerged in the 1800s. Egg farmers purchased enriched poultry feed and other supplements to ensure that chickens consumed the nutrients and calcium they could not forage for themselves. Supplements included oyster shells, which provided calcium to harden eggshells -- making them more durable for transport from farm to frying pan.

Egg farming grew into a specialized industry after the Civil War. Books like this one provided information for farmers interested in large-scale egg production. They also helped popularize exotic breeds that consistently laid high-quality eggs.

General store operators in American small towns during the 19th century purchased eggs from dealers, as confirmed by this invoice from a general store in Cincinnatus, New York. Storekeepers may also have extended credit to local families in exchange for eggs.

Because eggs are a perishable commodity, companies labeled them with clear shipping information to ensure prompt delivery. The George F. Wagner Co. Inc., which sold eggs (along with butter and cheese) in New York City, used this form when shipping orders from farms to busy markets in the country’s largest city.

Most farmers had little time to move their eggs from farm to market, so some individuals went into business as "distributors." Distributors bought eggs from farmers, transported them to wholesale markets, and sold them in bulk to hotels or grocery stores. Wholesale distributor Claude Neer of Santa Anna, California, used this 1-1/2-ton Ford truck to handle his delicate cargo of eggs.

This 1955 toaster ad includes a breakfast staple--the egg. Yet the "reputation" of eggs has waxed and waned in more recent years. Busy consumers have turned to quicker-to-prepare breakfast foods. And the cholesterol in egg yolks has raised health concerns--harmful or not? The answer has ranged from "yes" to "no" to "yes/no." Moderation may be the key, balancing the bad effects (cholesterol) with the good (essential vitamins and minerals).

Herb Peterson, owner of a Santa Barbara McDonald's franchise, helped make the traditional egg and cheese sandwich an indispensable morning staple in 1972, when he introduced the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich. This invention opened up the entire fast food breakfast market. Eggs became a standard part of many fast food breakfast menus -- and of many Americans' mornings on-the-go.

By the early 2000s, major U.S. egg producers raised massive flocks of hens in cramped conditions. Ironically, these producers marketed some of their eggs as "cage free" or "free range." Although terms like these often misrepresented the true conditions for hens on large-scale egg farms, they appealed to consumers who were concerned about animal welfare (and willing to pay more for it).