Grub Stake

Grub Stake. . Look for something to eat, and find it in the water, in the ground, on the surface; whose bill of fare ranges from grass-seed, nuts, roots, grasshoppers, lizards, and rattlesnakes up to the antelope, deer elk, bear, and buffalo... Randolph Marcy; The Prairie Traveler, p. 232 , Prospectors and miners purchased initial food or "grub stakes" from retail sources along established travel routes. In Montana early supply points included Bannack, Fort Benton, and Gold Creel. Grub stakes included food such as dried beans, dried fruit, coffee, flour, salt pork, and even jerky. The miner's selection of food was greatly influenced by place and season. Wild plants and animals supplied much of the food prospectors ate when out on the trail. Early miners in most places ate by campfire and foods were cooked using simple methods with as few utensils as possible. , As settlements grew, so did the range of cuisine. Improvements in housing and transportation enabled a greater variety of food to be prepared in more traditional ways. In boom town communities such as Virginia City, the most modern food and menu items were available to miners in hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. By the fall of 1864, oysters, champagne, a wide variety of condiments, fresh cuts of meet, and fancy desserts were available in Virginia City's eateries.