RED HAW — Some younger folks may think that current trends for online grocery ordering, home food delivery, food trucks, and creating a wish list is unique.
The truth is that none of these are new at all in American society and it’s a definite fact that what was once old is becoming new again. The only difference is this time around we’re doing it through the use of technology.
Long before home grocery delivery from local supermarkets, Amazon, or Schwan’s Home Delivery, there were hucksters. These were men who peddled groceries door-to-door on a daily basis, often fresh from the farm. Hucksters started as early as the Civil War era.
They drove specially designed huckster wagons or trucks and knew their customer’s needs, had a regular route, and offered value and quality products to those they served. They also planned their routes so they showed up on a weekly basis.
Initially, Hucksters carried a large variety of items on their ‘chuck wagon’ style vehicles. They served residences, farms, factory workers, schools, and really anyone who needed some type of food or supply. Later, wagons were replaced with trucks.
The truck was usually something similar to a 1930 Ford Model T or Model A pickup with wooden modifications, racks and shelves. Inside was an aisle with counters on each side and shelves above. The trucks not only sold food.
Some trucks were fitted with a tank to sell coal oil (kerosene) which was once used for lighting and medicinal use. Customers were also able to buy personal items such as pencils, notebooks, salves and lotions.
Hucksters were often based out of small towns in this area. Customers paid cash, bought on credit, or traded for goods. Hucksters often collected in bulk from a number of small suppliers. Good hucksters carried anything that could be found in a small town or country store.
He even collected items country children foraged from the forest like mushrooms and ginseng or small animals they hunted. Hucksters also carried wish lists from their customers so that whenever they came in contact with a particular item, they could buy or trade for it.
School children waited patiently for the huckster to stop at their schools so they could spend their coins on cookies or other treats.
As motorized transportation became more common in cities, hucksters moved deeper into rural and less-settled areas. Gasoline was rationed during World War II, so huckstering was especially important to rural areas during that time.
The practice of huckstering continued locally up into the 1950’s when supermarkets became more common and were the preferred way to shop. Farmer’s markets then also became more popular.
According to his family, Ralph Norris once worked for Glenn Smith at the Red Haw General Store and drove the huckster truck around the area delivering products.
Fresh eggs were bought and sold from the truck as well as other small items. Since the truck wasn’t refrigerated, Ralph was unable to deliver perishable goods in the summer, but he traveled throughout the county drumming up sales. Many local eggs were taken to Cleveland and sold.
Ralph used to stop for a break sometimes at Maynard’s which was a popular gas station and restaurant at the corner of US Route 42 and State Route 89.
