New York City Food Production and Consumption 1860-1940
From 1860 to 1940 New York City’s population increased over nine fold, rising from 813,669 persons in 1860 to 3,437,202 persons in 1900, to 7,454,995 persons in 1940. Based off of this fact alone we can infer that New York City underwent great changes during this time period to accommodate the great increase in population. Additionally between 1892 and 1954, Ellis Island saw over twelve million immigrants enter New York City. In 1900 an astounding 37% of the City was foreign born, 36.1% in 1920 and 28.7% in 1940. So how then did this massive increase in demand for food products affect the means of production and importation/exportation for these products? This paper intends to document changes of production and consumption for fish, shellfish, meat, and beverages.
This period underwent great changes in the production and consumption of fish, especially as a result of increase in immigrants, many of whom had greater consumption of fish than their native counterparts. According to a New York Times article, in 1884 approximately 60,000,000 pounds of fish were brought to the Fulton Market with over sixty fishing vessels actively bringing their catches to the Fulton slip alone. Another New York Times article cited from 1907 titled “How New York City Gets It’s Fish Supply” even mentions the common practice of importing halibut all the way across the nation via rail due to the low numbers of the fish found traditionally off the coast of Labrador.
As the demand for meat increased, new improvisations in meat production technology were developed. While Chicago based companies developed many of these new meat production technologies, they often made their way to New York City’s meatpackers. These include refrigerated compartments, steam hoists, and methods for processing by-products. New railway lines were also built to export meat from major meatpacking plants in Chicago to other major cities. In New York City, the meatpacking district sprouted in lower Manhattan, and the High Line was built to distribute its meat products.
In terms of shellfish Oyster demand skyrocketed as the 19th century progressed. With the introduction of the dredge and steam engine, oystermen in New York were able to dramatically increase their production. They began to employ new methods in aquaculture, including planting oysters from other areas into New York waters. The annual oyster catch in New York State rose from 7.5 million in 1880 to 25 million in 1911. Throughout the 1920’s and beyond, however, oyster production in New York exponentially decreased, due to the closing of oyster beds as a result of extreme water pollution. As a result, oysters had to be imported from other areas including Chesapeake Bay. This caused a rise in prices, with the average price of one pound of oysters doubling from 1911 to 1930. Scares of oysters carrying typhoid and other gastrointestinal diseases occurred throughout New York and dramatically decreased oyster demand during the early 1900’s.
This period also saw great changes in the production of beverages. Coca-Cola was originally sold in 1886 as a medical beverage used to treat many common ailments. However, its popularity as a soft drink spurred its rapid growth. As the population increased, so did the demand for Coca-Cola. In this time period, the beverage also spread overseas; in less than fifty years, it had spread to over fifty countries. Today, it is enjoyed in over 200 countries worldwide. Alcohol also had a number of changes during this period. The use of alcohol declined until 1921 – early into the Prohibition. It then increased as New Yorkers found ways to produce alcohol in spite of the law. By 1940, alcohol use settled once again near pre-Prohibition levels, though slightly less. The use of alcohol does not mirror the growth in population, however, because of the laws against its production, use, and sale.
