Cavalry Mess Hall and Kitchen

Cavalry Mess Hall and Kitchen. . Palatable food during the fort's early days was a constant problem; the soil was poor quality, lacking nutrients, and other sources of fresh food were distant. Though neighboring ranches supplied some vegetables and meats, they were still a day's ride or longer by wagon. There was no special designation for “cooks,” so they were picked sporadically from the ranks. , Sun-dried, pressed cakes of “desiccated vegetables” were boiled into soups or stews. One of these tasteless seven-pound cakes produced 42 gallons of soup. Cooks relied heavily on canned food for taste variety and less risk of food poisoning. , Enlisted men ate by-the-company on benches at long, bare wooded tables presided over by non-commissioned officers. By the late 1800s, white ironstone tableware replaced tin and iron utensils – a noticeable improvement.