Time inevitably marches on, and there’s little we can do to halt its steady beat. As societies evolve, countless 10 things used in everyday routines slip into obscurity, leaving us to wonder how different life once felt. From the way we told time to the very ground we walked on, many once‑common sights have faded into the pages of history.

10 Things Used to Shape Our Past

10 Before Time Zones Two Nearby Cities Might Run a Few Minutes Apart

What better way to kick off a stroll down memory lane than to talk about time itself? Nowadays we take time zones for granted, slicing the globe into neat orange‑shaped slices. Yet before the world adopted standardized zones, each town kept its own clock, usually set by the position of the sun, which meant that neighboring cities could be out of sync by a few minutes.

Traveling from one settlement to the next could land you either a few minutes ahead or behind the local time. A single degree of latitude could shift a town’s clock just enough to create a noticeable discrepancy. For instance, when it was high noon in Washington, D.C., the clock in Baltimore read 12:02, Albany showed 12:14, and Boston ticked at 12:24. Railroads relied on these local times to schedule arrivals and departures, resulting in a chaotic patchwork of timetables that bewildered travelers.

To make sense of the confusion, comparative timetables were published, offering a rough guide for passengers hopping from city to city. The eventual adoption of uniform time zones smoothed out this mess, but the quirky minutes‑apart reality of pre‑zone America remains a fascinating glimpse into a more disordered era.

9 White Dog Poo Disappeared Thanks to Ingredient Changes in Dog Food

Sarah Silverman once sang a tongue‑in‑cheek ode about the disappearance of white dog poop, a quirky reminder that even our pets’ waste has evolved. If you grew up in the ’80s or earlier, you likely recall sidewalks dotted with ghost‑white droppings, a direct result of the fillers used in dog food at the time.

Back then, many manufacturers bulked up kibble with bone meal, a calcium‑rich filler that passed straight through the digestive tract. When the waste dried under the sun, the calcium would crystallize, turning the poop a stark, powdery white. This was a common sight wherever dogs roamed, especially in neighborhoods where owners neglected to clean up after their furry companions.

Starting in the 1990s, pet food companies began cutting back on bone meal, replacing it with higher‑quality fibers and nutrients. This reformulation reduced the calcium load, meaning the waste retained its typical brown hue instead of bleaching to white. Today, the ghostly piles are a rarity, a testament to how ingredient tweaks can reshape even the most unexpected aspects of daily life.

So the next time you see a dog’s business looking ordinary, thank modern nutrition science for making our sidewalks a bit less spectral.

8 Before Fountains and Disposable Cups We All Used Unhygienic Common Cups

Schoolchildren today quench their thirst at sleek water fountains, and office workers tap disposable cups from sleek coolers. But before these sanitary solutions existed, the public relied on a shared, communal cup that was anything but clean.

Imagine a bustling street corner where a large metal bucket held water, and a single cup was passed from person to person. Each thirsty passer‑by would dip their lips into the same vessel, leaving behind a layer of saliva, germs, and the occasional stray hair. This communal drinking method persisted well into the early 20th century, creating a veritable breeding ground for disease.

The introduction of the disposable paper cup in the early 1900s revolutionized public hygiene. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, these single‑use cups surged in popularity, dramatically reducing the spread of illness caused by shared drinking vessels. The simple act of handing each person their own cup helped curb contagion and saved countless lives.

Today, we take for granted the ability to sip from a clean, personal cup, whether at a fountain or from a disposable paper cup. The shift away from the communal cup stands as a small but significant victory in public health history.

7 Before Parks Were Big People Used to Picnic in Graveyards

In the United Kingdom, the average person now enjoys a picnic roughly three times a year, a pastime that surged in popularity during the COVID‑19 lockdowns when restaurants were scarce. Across the Atlantic, Americans rediscovered the joy of outdoor meals, flocking to parks for a breath of fresh air and a sandwich.

However, modern parks are a relatively recent invention. Until the mid‑1800s, most green spaces in England were privately owned estates, inaccessible to the general public. In the United States, the first public park, Boston Common, was established in the 1600s, but by 1800 there were only sixteen public parks nationwide, leaving few options for leisurely outdoor gatherings.

Before these public oases existed, the most accessible verdant area for everyday folks was often a cemetery. These burial grounds offered expansive lawns, quiet atmospheres, and ample space for families to spread a blanket and enjoy a meal. As public health concerns and epidemics prompted the redesign of cemeteries into more landscaped, park‑like environments, they inadvertently became the precursors to modern recreational spaces.

The transition from solemn burial sites to lively communal parks highlights how societal needs can reshape even the most somber of places into hubs of enjoyment and relaxation.

Next time you settle on a park bench, remember that centuries ago, you might have been picnicking among headstones.

6 Computers Used to Come With a Lock and Key

Most of us today glance at a sleek laptop or smartphone, oblivious to the fact that early personal computers often featured a literal lock and key on the chassis, securing the hard drive like a small safe.

IBM pioneered this security measure, attaching a keyhole directly to the case. In an era before password protection became standard, the physical lock prevented anyone from opening the machine and tampering with the data inside. If you stepped away for a coffee break, a quick twist of the key could lock your work, shielding it from prying eyes.

While the concept seemed ingenious, not every manufacturer actually wired the lock to the drive, rendering some of them merely decorative. Nonetheless, the lock‑and‑key system offered a tangible sense of security during a time when digital safeguards were still in their infancy.

5 Airplane Windows Used to Be Square Until People Started Dying

Most of us associate airplane windows with sleek, round portholes, but early jetliners sported square panes that proved to be a deadly design flaw. The de Havilland Comet, the world’s first commercial jet, featured rectangular windows that unfortunately couldn’t withstand the pressures of high‑altitude flight.

At cruising altitudes around 30,000 feet, cabin pressure is maintained far higher than the thin outside air. In a cylindrical fuselage, the pressure concentrates at any sharp corners, and square windows presented exactly such stress points. The result? The corners would experience forces two to three times greater than the surrounding metal, eventually causing the windows to pop out, leading to catastrophic depressurization.

Two fatal Comet accidents in the 1950s, both linked to this flaw, prompted engineers to rethink window geometry. By rounding the corners, the pressure could distribute evenly across the glass, eliminating the weak points that had doomed earlier designs.

Modern aircraft now sport oval or circular windows, a seemingly small change that dramatically improved safety and kept millions of passengers aloft.

4 Before Cutlery Almost No One Had an Overbite

Today, roughly eight percent of the population suffers from a severe overbite, with about one‑fifth experiencing some degree of misaligned teeth. Surprisingly, this dental issue wasn’t as widespread before the widespread adoption of forks and knives.

Anthropological studies reveal that, 250 years ago, most skeletal remains showed well‑aligned jaws with little to no overbite. The shift began when Western societies embraced cutlery, reducing the need for large, forceful bites. In contrast, Chinese cultures, which had used chopsticks for centuries, exhibited a higher prevalence of overbites, suggesting that the method of eating influences jaw development.

When people ate with their hands, they needed to bite larger pieces and exert more force, promoting stronger jaw muscles and better alignment. The introduction of forks and knives allowed food to be cut into smaller, more manageable portions, decreasing the workload on the jaw and gradually leading to the modern prevalence of overbites.

Thus, a simple change in dining etiquette has left a lasting imprint on our dental health, reminding us that cultural habits can shape even the structure of our faces.

3 Before Alarm Clocks, Knocker Uppers Woke People Up

Before the advent of the modern alarm clock—whether mechanical or smartphone‑based—workers and students relied on a very human solution: the knocker‑upper. These early wake‑up services emerged in the mid‑1800s, offering a reliable way to rouse people at a set hour.

A knocker‑upper would carry a long, slender rod and gently rap on a client’s bedroom window at the appointed time. The practice was especially common in industrial towns where shift work demanded punctuality. Residents would pay the knocker‑upper a modest fee, ensuring they wouldn’t oversleep and miss the start of their day.

In some locales, the profession persisted well into the 20th century, with knocker‑uppers still making rounds in the 1970s. Their personalized service, though seemingly quaint today, was a vital part of daily life before reliable personal time‑keeping devices became ubiquitous.

2 Prior to Toilet Paper, People Used Sears Catalogs

Toilet paper feels as essential as soap in modern bathrooms, yet it didn’t become commonplace until the mid‑19th century. Before the mass production of soft, absorbent rolls, households turned to an unlikely source for hygiene: the massive Sears catalog.

These glossy, multi‑hundred‑page mail‑order brochures arrived at homes across America, showcasing everything from clothing to farm equipment. Their sturdy, yet relatively soft, newsprint paper proved handy for a quick wipe in the bathroom, especially in rural outhouses where dedicated toilet tissue was scarce.

Even the Farmer’s Almanac, another staple of the era, printed versions with a pre‑drilled hole in the corner, allowing users to hang the page in the privy and tear off sheets as needed. This makeshift solution persisted until commercial toilet paper became affordable and widely available.

The catalog‑turned‑toilet‑paper anecdote underscores how ingenuity can turn everyday objects into essential utilities during periods of scarcity.

1 Before Trees The Earth Had Giant Mushrooms

Today, we marvel at the three trillion trees that blanket our planet, yet the Earth’s early forests were dominated by a very different giant: towering fungi known as Prototaxites. Roughly 400 million years ago, before trees rose to prominence, these massive mushrooms reached heights of up to 24 feet, with trunks as thick as three feet.

Prototaxites formed the backbone of ancient ecosystems, outshining the modest shrub‑like plants that co‑existed with them. Their impressive stature made them the tallest organisms of their time, effectively ruling the landscape long before the first true trees appeared.

These colossal fungi vanished about 350 million years ago, paving the way for the rise of vascular plants and, eventually, the dense forests we know today. Their existence reminds us that the dominant life forms of one era can be entirely different in the next, highlighting the ever‑shifting tapestry of Earth’s biological history.

Dogs have been by our side for millennia, and the top 10 popular breeds that have vanished tell a tale of changing human needs, shifting fashions, and sometimes sheer bad luck. Below we explore each once‑renowned canine, why they were adored, and the reasons they slipped into obscurity.

Why These Top 10 Popular Breeds Vanished

10 Talbot

The Talbot was a celebrated hunting hound that roamed the English countryside throughout the Middle Ages. Some historians suspect William the Conqueror may have introduced the breed to England in 1066, though solid proof is lacking. The Talbot even graced the crest of the Earls of Shrewsbury, whose family name mirrors the dog’s. Notably, only the Talbot and the Greyhound appear in English heraldry as hounds.

These hounds were modest‑sized, predominantly white, with short legs, long floppy ears, and a curled tail. Contemporary records praise their keen sense of smell, though the exact quarry—whether deer, boar, fox, rabbit, or otherwise—remains uncertain.

Evidence places the Talbot in the 15th century, with its popularity soaring in the 17th century as hunters prized its tracking precision. It became a staple of English field sports during that era.

By the close of the 18th century, the Talbot began to fade. The Northern and Southern Hounds eclipsed it, and breeders favored certain traits over others, effectively breeding the Talbot out of existence. Nonetheless, its genetic legacy lives on in the Beagle, Bloodhound, and Coonhound.

9 St. John’s Water Dog

St. John’s Water Dog emerged in Newfoundland, likely forming in the late‑16th century. These diligent, good‑natured dogs were treasured by fishermen for their swimming prowess and retrieving abilities, making them indispensable in coastal communities.

The breed’s exact lineage is murky, but it’s believed to be a natural blend of various working dogs that sailors and settlers brought to Labrador. Throughout the 16th and early 17th centuries, they enjoyed high demand and were even exported to England.

Two major setbacks led to their decline. First, Canadian authorities limited dog breeding to promote sheep farming, curbing their numbers. Second, England instituted a quarantine to prevent rabies, halting imports and further reducing breeding opportunities.

By the mid‑20th century, the St. John’s Water Dog was a rarity, and by the 1980s it had vanished completely. However, its genetic contribution endures as a foundational ancestor of modern retrievers, including the Labrador and Golden Retriever.

8 Grand Fauve De Bretagne

The Grand Fauve de Bretagne was a robust scenthound employed to chase wolves and wild boars across the Breton landscape. Its coat was a dense, pale golden‑brown, and the dog possessed a notoriously difficult temperament, suited to the perils of dangerous game hunting.

Temperamentally, the breed could be erratic and hard to restrain. While tracking, Grand Fauves sometimes killed goats and sheep, creating challenges for shepherds. Historical records trace the breed back to the 1520s, when it earned a reputation for exceptional hunting skill.

The breed remained a hunting companion well into the 19th century. However, when wolves were largely eradicated from France, the Grand Fauve de Bretagne lost its primary purpose, leading to a rapid decline in breeding interest.

By the early 20th century, the Grand Fauve was considered extinct. Prior to its disappearance, it was crossed with the Briquet Griffon Vendéen, giving rise to the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, a breed that still thrives in France today.

7 Russian Tracker

For centuries, the Russian Tracker shepherded flocks across the rugged Caucasus Mountains. These large, swift dogs excelled at repelling wolves, protecting their charges, and were celebrated for their intelligence and ability to manage a herd with minimal human oversight.

Weighing roughly 100 lb (45 kg) and cloaked in a thick winter coat, the Russian Tracker was built to withstand the region’s harsh cold and fend off predators that threatened its flock.

Despite their utility and regional popularity, the breed faded in the late 19th century. New canine imports supplanted them, and there was little effort to preserve the native stock.

Rather than conserving the pure line, breeders mixed the Russian Tracker with bloodhounds and other working breeds, aiming to create a replacement. Over time, the original breed vanished, though it is thought to have contributed to the ancestry of the Golden Retriever among other modern dogs.

6 Blue Paul Terrier

The Blue Paul Terrier was a Scottish breed notorious for its aggressive temperament. Though its precise origins remain hazy, it likely arose in the late 18th century from a cross between an Irish Blue Terrier and an extinct White Bull and Terrier.

Visually, the Blue Paul displayed a striking dark‑blue, smooth coat, reminiscent of certain Greyhounds. Its head was large with a flat forehead, and its ears were small and often cropped.

Throughout the 19th century, the breed flourished in Scotland, prized for its strength and courage—qualities that made it a formidable contender in dogfighting rings. Owners admired its cunning and tenacity in combat.

Because of its violent nature, the Blue Paul proved unsuitable as a household companion. As dogfighting became illegal in Scotland, the breed’s numbers dwindled, and by the early 20th century it was extinct, likely absorbed into other lines through cross‑breeding.

5 Rastreador Brasileiro

The Rastreador Brasileiro was a relatively recent Brazilian breed, first officially recognized in 1967, making it one of the newest extinct breeds. Its coat varied from bluish to black, often speckled, and it resembled the American Coonhound in appearance.

Developed in the 1950s to hunt peccaries—medium‑sized wild pigs native to Central and South America—the breed combined genetics from both American and European hunting dogs to achieve the desired traits.

Tragically, the Rastreador Brasileiro’s existence was cut short by a double catastrophe: an outbreak of disease coupled with an overdose of insecticide decimated the entire breeding population. By 1973, the breed was delisted as extinct.

Recent efforts aim to resurrect the breed by identifying suitable mixed‑breed dogs and cross‑breeding them to recreate the original type. While a full revival has yet to occur, the Brazilian Kennel Club re‑acknowledged the breed in 2019, keeping hope alive.

4 Turnspit Dog

Unlike most medieval dogs bred for hunting, the Turnspit Dog served a singular culinary purpose: powering kitchen spits. First documented in the 16th century, these dogs earned nicknames such as Kitchen Dogs or Cooking Dogs.

Their job involved running on a treadmill‑like wheel, which turned a spit to roast meat. Larger households often employed two Turnspit Dogs, rotating them in shifts to keep the fire continuously turning.

The breed’s fate was sealed by 19th‑century automation. The invention of the spinning jenny—a multi‑spindle spinning frame—rendered the dogs’ labor obsolete. Over time, they fell out of favor and became associated with poverty.

Without a functional role, Turnspit Dogs vanished around the turn of the 20th century. Today, only a single taxidermied specimen, named Whiskey, survives on display at the Abergavenny Museum in Wales.

3 Argentine Polar Dog

The Argentine Polar Dog, though obscure to many, played a vital role for the Argentine Army in the 1950s. Bred specifically as a sled dog for Antarctic bases, it combined the traits of several northern breeds.

Its lineage mixed the Siberian Husky, Greenland Dog, Alaskan Malamute, and a Manchurian Spitz, producing a powerful dog weighing up to 132 lb (60 kg) with a triple‑layer coat ideal for extreme cold.

Eleven Argentine Polar Dogs could haul a 1.1‑ton sled, achieving speeds of up to 22 mph (35 km/h) on flat terrain—perfect for the army’s logistical needs.

By 1994, the breed was extinct. International environmental protocols forced the removal of all Argentine Polar Dogs from Antarctica to protect native wildlife. Isolated from disease‑resistant populations, the dogs eventually perished.

2 English White Terrier

In the 1860s, a group of ambitious breeders christened a new breed the English White Terrier, hoping to create a show‑ring sensation. This pricked‑ear variant of the era’s white terriers aimed to outshine its peers in the exhibition arena.

For roughly thirty years, the breed circulated throughout Britain, likely derived from a cross between a Fox Terrier and a White Italian Greyhound. Official recognition arrived in 1874.

The English White Terrier possessed little utility for hunting or work; its primary value lay in companionship, requiring ample affection and care from its owners.

After three decades, the breed faded into extinction. Its genetic legacy persisted, however, as it was crossed with the Old English Bulldog, contributing to the development of the Bull and Boston Terriers.

1 Molossus

The Molossus was an ancient mastiff‑type dog revered by the Greek tribe of the Molossians, from whom its name derives. Bred for sheer size and ferocity, these dogs excelled in hunting, fighting, and herding.

Historical poets and scholars—including Aristotle, Horace, and Virgil—wrote admiringly of the Molossus, underscoring its impressive stature and reputation.

Legend offers two origins: some claim Alexander the Great returned them from Asia, while others argue Roman soldiers first cultivated them as guard dogs. Neither story is definitively proven, yet both illustrate the breed’s legendary status.

The exact cause of the Molossus’s disappearance remains unclear. It likely vanished through extensive cross‑breeding, a common fate for many ancient breeds.

Despite its extinction, the Molossus lives on through its descendants, influencing modern giants such as the American Bulldog, Rottweiler, Great Dane, and numerous mastiff‑type breeds.

The American diet has been diverse from the beginning, as would be expected since diverse peoples settled the country. All of them brought traditional foods to the table, so to speak, foods considered strange today. For example, the English brought their love of pies to America, but many of the types of pies they enjoyed aren’t commonly found today. Modern noses turn up at many of the foods consumed by our ancestors, and some of what was regularly eaten is not even considered food today.

Some of the dishes which are considered strange — which is a generous descriptive to say the least — included roast peacock and peahen. In medieval times they were brought to table with flourishes including their own feathers. Other dishes from medieval times are still savored today by a few, including eel pies and jellied eels. There are still eel shops in London, though relatively few. Another food, beaver tail, was eaten widely in the Middle Ages because the beaver was an aquatic animal. The tail resembles a fish, and was so considered so, allowing it to be eaten on fast days of the liturgical calendar. Here are ten foods once widely enjoyed by Americans but generally considered strange today.

10. Eel Pie and jellied eel

Eels were plentiful in the waterways of Britain, particularly in the Thames, and eel shops abounded in the city during the days of American colonization. Arriving colonists in America were happy to find the waterways of the New World teemed with fish, eel among them. Settlers cooked eel in a variety of ways. They were fried, baked, broiled, and both used in pies and jellies. To make the latter, chopped eel was boiled in a stock, which was then cooled. The cooled stock set as a jelly, and eaten cold. In America, it was often made in the evening, allowed to cool overnight, and enjoyed for breakfast.

For most Americans today, facing cold chopped eel in jelly with one’s morning coffee does not appeal. But early American settlers loved them, taking them from the waters of Cape Cod and inland streams. Lobsters, with which the area also teemed, were so common they were often used as bait for eels. Interest in jellied eel and eel pies subsided in American cuisine as much from overfishing as for any other reason. Today eel is consumed mostly as sushi rather than in pies, though there are diehards who swear by them as a delicious dish. To each his own.

9. Pear cider and perry

Making an alcoholic beverage from pears is a process which was recorded in the annals of Ancient Rome. The Romans carried the process to France, and the Norman Invasion took it to England. Two alcoholic beverages were made from pears: pear cider and perry. Pear cider was always scarcer than cider made from apples. Pear trees grow more slowly than apple trees, and produce less fruit per tree to be harvested. But they have the advantage of being able to produce annual harvests for two centuries or more, if well husbanded. Perry became a popular cider in France and England, but in America the more prevalent apple became the primary choice for fermentation.

Pears suitable for making the beverage perry are less common than those typically eaten. In order to make a good perry, the pears need to be astringent and are typically smaller than those consumed as fruit. In France, varietals for different types of perry were developed by cultivars. Perry was well-known in early America, among those with money, imported from Britain and France. It died out in the mid-19th century. More recently, the craft brewing industry, particularly in Oregon, began producing American pear cider and perry, which are distinctly different beverages. Pear cider is sweeter than its more expensive cousin. Whether either becomes popular in America is an open question.

8. Sassafras, used as a spice and a medicine

The Europeans who arrived in colonial America had never encountered the sassafras tree, a genus indigenous to North America and Asia, but unknown in Europe. They discovered the natives using the sassafras tree in a wide variety of applications. The leaves were used to treat wounds. Other parts of the tree were used as medicines, against the woes of scurvy, toothaches, colds, fevers, and many other disorders. Leaves of the tree were also dried, ground, and used as a flavoring. It is still used in the manufacture of file, also called gumbo file, used predominantly in Cajun cooking.

Sassafras root was the source of the flavor for root beer, though it is no longer present in most commercially made root beers. The leaves were boiled and eaten as greens during the Starving Time in colonial Virginia, as well as in the early settlements of North Carolina. Sassafras bark was stripped from living trees and shipped to Britain by the early colonists as a cash crop. The process killed the trees and reduced supply, making the commodity harder to acquire. Other than in file and in a few crafted root beers and craft beers, sassafras is seldom consumed as a food today, one reason being its tendency to damage livers and kidneys.

7. Roasted turtle and turtle soup

Well into the 20th century roasted turtle and turtle soup were commonly consumed at American tables. Arriving colonists found the waters of their new home were the old home of myriads of Green Snapping turtles. The Pilgrims ate their meat at their tables, cooked them into stews, and devoured their eggs as well. Turtle eggs were an appreciated delicacy, served to dignitaries and on special occasions. Recipes which survive from the 19th century instructed the housewife in the cleaning of turtles, and the proper use of the meat from different portions of the body.

The turtle was said to contain seven different flavors of meat, each resembling veal, shrimp, chicken, goat, beef, pork, or fish. The best use of each portion was advised by cookbooks. In the 1920s Campbells offered a canned version of turtle soup. Eventually mock turtle soup, using the meat which the various portions of the turtle resembled, overcame the use of turtle meat. Convenience was the main factor, the availability of whole turtles another. Mock turtle soup is still common in America, but real turtle soup, which is in reality more of a stew, can seldom be found outside of Louisiana.

6. Roasted beaver tail

As mentioned above, the beaver was once considered a fish, allowing the meat of the tail to be consumed on days when fasting was ordained by the church. The days of considering it a fish were over by the time Europeans arrived in America, but eating beaver tail was not. Typically, the tail was severed from the animal and cooked over an open fire until the skin charred and split. It was then taken off the fire, the skin peeled away, and the meat boiled in a pot of water until it was tender. If a pot of water was not available the tail could be roasted, as it often was over campfires by hunters and trappers.

Early Americans dined on other parts of the beaver, including the liver. The entire animal was cut into parts, as would be a chicken, and roasted, fried, or baked. It did not however taste like chicken. Instead its meat was claimed to resemble wild rabbit. But the tail was considered to be the best cut of the animal, laden with protein and fat, and when properly cooked, moist and buttery in texture. Beaver meat was also used in stews and in New England baked into pies. The predominance of recipes easily found online indicate it was once quite popular, and in Canada and parts of North America, there are some who still relish roast beaver tail, and a good beaver pie.

5. Dried fish were enjoyed throughout the country

Fish of all sorts was an important source of protein in early America. Records from Mount Vernon describe annual catches of mackerel in the spring, with vast amounts of fish captured. The fish was a cash crop, food for slaves on the plantation, and served on Washington’s table. It was often eaten for breakfast. Since fish deteriorates quickly, it was salted and dried as a means of preserving it. The quality of the salt used in the preservation process was critical. Cheaper salts were corrosive and destroyed the flesh they were meant to preserve. Dried fish had to be rehydrated before it was eaten, though it retained high levels of salt when it was consumed.

Canning, and later freezing, replaced drying as the primary means of preserving fish in the late nineteenth century, and dried fish all but disappeared from American restaurants and tables. It remains a feature of some ethnic cuisines. Fish is seldom served at American breakfast tables anymore either, replaced by bacon or sausage, or other proteins. Dried fish was also once eaten in America as jerky is today, without further cooking as a snack or a meal. The image of fish drying in the sun, heavily laden with salt, is an unappetizing one for most Americans, but it was once a mainstay of the diet at all levels of society.

4. Mutton was a major protein source

Mutton is the meat of an adult sheep, that is, an animal more than two years of age. Some countries also use the term to describe the meat of goats. Few Americans eat mutton anymore, its flavor and texture both considered unappealing. But it was once a major contributor to the American diet. Stronger in flavor than lamb, or even domestic beef, mutton was once the most popular meat in the United States. Modern Americans often go their whole lives without ever once tasting it, and have an aversion to trying it. It has been the butt of jokes – a memorable episode of Seinfeld denigrated mutton thoroughly – and it is generally disdained.

One reason for the decline of mutton’s popularity was how it was cooked. Mutton requires slow cooking at lower temperatures, for up to 25 minutes per pound for some cuts, and post-World War II lifestyles didn’t accommodate such dedication. During the war American servicemen were often fed canned mutton from Australia and their dislike of the meat came home with them. Mutton (and lamb) were banned from their tables. By the end of the 20th century, Americans on average consumed less than one pound of meat from sheep per year, nearly all of it lamb. It is virtually impossible to find mutton in today’s butcher counters, and even harder to find any demand for the once popular meat.

3. Syllabub was a festive drink

Syllabub was both a drink and a dessert, consisting essentially of curdled cream, flavored with citrus and the agent used to curdle the cream. Samuel Pepys wrote of the beverage in his famous diary in 1663, so we can assume the concoction came to America from Britain. The first cookbook published in the American Colonies, The Compleat Housewife (1753), contained a recipe for syllabub. It included a quart of cream, the juice of three lemons, a pound of sugar, and a pint of wine, beaten together. The acid in the wine curdled the cream, causing it to froth. According to the recipe, the result kept for up to ten days, and was best when consumed after three or four days of aging.

It was a dessert and an after-dinner drink, though it was also served on festive occasions, separate from a meal. For use as a dessert the froth was skimmed off and served separately, the liquid discarded. Some recipes suggested tinting the froth with saffron or the juice of beets or spinach. Syllabubs were popular throughout the British colonies in America, and remained so until the mid-19th century, when they gradually and inexplicably faded away. If curiosity compels one to make a syllabub, a sweeter white wine such as a Riesling is recommended as the liquid.

2. Madeira wine

A fortified wine from the Portuguese Islands of Madeira was once an essential part of fine dining, served with cheese at the end of the meal. A long period of relaxation, sipping Madeira, was considered essential to good digestion at finer tables. Port wines, including Madeira, are readily available in the United States, though their popularity is not what it once was. Lingering at table after meals is no longer an American habit. In fact, it never was, except in the upper classes. Americans sit, eat, and go on about their business. There isn’t any time to linger over Madeira and cheese.

Madeira was the beverage chosen by the founders to toast the Declaration of Independence when their work was finished. A bottle of Madeira was broken across the bow of the USS Constitution when it was christened in 1797. Madeira’s qualities were used to ensure the legal debates of the early Supreme Court remained civil. Through the late 19th and early 20th century its popularity waned, in part because it was linked to gout. By the mid-20th century it was considered no more than a cooking wine, unfit for drinking. As such it is mainly considered today.

1. Robins were a popular game bird

An entry in an 1890 American cookbook reads, “Cover the bottom of a pie-dish with thin slices of beef and fat bacon, over which lay ten or twelve robins.” Robins were once a popular food in America, hunted and eaten on the frontier and served in restaurants and fine homes. Besides being baked in pies, robins were fried, baked, and broiled over open flames. They were split, or kept whole and stuffed, much as quail is today. The most popular means of preparing them though was baking them in pies, often in company with other small birds.

 They were far from the only small bird eaten. Why they fell out of favor is unknown. From the cookbook recipe noted above it is clear they were still regularly consumed around the turn of the 20th century. But then, so was mutton. Tastes change. In 1890 few Americans would have considered eating sushi, though eel pies were still fairly common. Today robins are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, and hunting them is illegal. They are one food of a bygone era with little chance of returning to the popularity they once held at the table.