The Thrifty Frontier Kitchen

On the American frontier, thrift was not only a necessity but also a philosophy of day-to-day living and survival. At the German Pietists’ 26,000-acre Amana Colonies east of Iowa City, Iowa, the women who ran the 50 community kitchens followed thrift to another level, cooking three meals a day, as well as two snack breaks, for the communal village where all resources and property were shared. – Courtesy NYPL Digital Collections,