Bone Gap Chowder LbNA #54936
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 9, 2010 |
| Location: | City Park |
| City: | Bone Gap |
| County: | Edwards |
| State: | Illinois |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | Two Of A Kind  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Two Of A Kind |
| Last found: | Nov 25, 2015 |
| Status: | FaFaO |
| Last edited: | Dec 4, 2015 |
Difficulty:
Clues & walk – easy (Some Briers that will be cared for at a later date!)
Stamp: Store Purchased
Status: Alive and well on October 22 (Checked by Placer)
What is “Chowder”?
In places like New England, "chowder" means a thick soup, usually made with fish, clams or corn. But here in Southeastern Illinois it means a lot more.
Around here, "chowder" refers not only to the actual chowder that is eaten, but also to each community's social gathering at which it is made and served.
Each uses its own sometimes-secret recipe, but all start with three basic ingredients: salt pork, onions and cubed potatoes. It is usually cooked outside in 20- to 70-gallon cauldrons where the various ingredients are added to boiling water according to how long each takes to cook, so that all of the ingredients are done at the same time -- usually in about 4 hours.
The kettles are stirred almost continuously while cooking so that the chowder does not scorch. The stirring is done with an 18- to 24-inch wooden "paddle" that has several holes bored in it and is attached a handle at a right angle near the end of it.
Traditionally, "chowder time" begins when tomatoes start to ripen and ends with the first heavy frost in the fall. If you get the opportunity, go to as many as you can and enjoy all Southeastern Illinois has to Offer.
Bone Gap Chowder…How it All Began
There certainly are bigger chowders and perhaps older chowders, but there's not a chowder in Southern Illinois prepared with more tradition than the annual Bone Gap Chowder.
Dozens of volunteers gather every second Saturday in August at the Bone Gap chowder grounds to prepare about 500 gallons of the special concoction that has been prepared over a wood fire using the same recipe for the past 100 years. The chowder is prepared in 16 35-gallon cast iron kettles.
The Bone Gap Chowder started out at the old Yankeetown school, then it moved to the Methodist Church across the road, and since before the '50s its been cooked at the current location. Trees were planted in 1955 to shade the volunteers from the scorching August heat.
How It’s Made
The Bone Gap Chowder Committee uses a secret recipe for the chowder, but it's the hours of preparation that makes the annual event a success.
On the Thursday before the event, Volunteers come in and clean up and mow the chowder grounds. Friday night is spent chopping homegrown Vegetables and preparing all of the other ingredients. On Saturday, they start the fires in the early morning, level the pots, fill them with water, fire them with wood, then level them again before anything goes in.
When the Bone Gap Chowder started almost 100 years ago, volunteers used to go from farm to farm to gather vegetables for the annual event. Now, most of the ingredients are "store bought." Potatoes, cabbage, celery and onions are still freshly chopped. The local farmers would haul their individual pots to the chowder grounds. Each pot was stamped with a number, which corresponds to its owner. Many of the original owners have donated their pots to the chowder committee. Today, those pots are cleaned and oiled at the end of each chowder and stored for safe keeping.
You Decide!
Communities take great pride in their chowders. In fact, in 1958, Edwards County Commissioners proclaimed Edwards County as "Chowder Capital of the World".
There is a long-running debate over which Edwards County community has the oldest chowder — Albion or Bone Gap. Albion claims theirs is older, but they cook with propane now. Bone Gap continues the tradition of using wood, therefore boasting the Longest Running Chowder in Edwards County.
We encourage you to try them both and see for yourself, who’s Chowder really is the best. Albion Chowder is held the Second Saturday in June. Bone Gap Chowder is held the second Saturday in August.
Directions:
The Box is in Bone Gap City Park/Chowder Grounds. From I-64 or U. S. Hwy. 50, take State Hwy. 130. Bone Gap is located aprox 3 miles East from State Hwy 130. Village is clearly marked from 130. The park is located at the North edge of town on State Street, on the West side of the road. (This is the main road through town).
Park at the gravel Entrance to the City Park. North of the gravel drive, there are several rows of trees. Follow the second row of trees West until you reach the end of the row. Still Facing West, look to your left about 60 degrees and you will see 2 Mighty Oak Trees growing close together. Walk a straight path to the Oak Trees. Follow a straight path past the Oak Trees looking N/NW towards the gravel road, but stop once you get to the brush. If you walked out onto the road, then you have gone too far. Look Due North and you will see a path through the brush. This is the old Rail Road Tracks used to run through town about 20 years ago. Follow the path North and aprox 60 paces down the path, and you will see some old Rail Road Ties on the right of the path that were left from the removal of the old Tracks. The Letter Box is buried under some of the old Ties 5 steps off the Beaten Path.
This is a public and visible site; so, please be discreet when retrieving and rehiding the box.
Please be sure the contents are sealed back in the Ziploc Bags and that the Container is sealed and the lid is locked back securely as the container is also watertight! Please rehide the box well under the Rail Road Ties and plant debris so that it can not be seen from any direction.
We will be able to check on this box often, about every Month or so, but, please let us know if you find it or if it is missing or needs attention! E-mail us at friendstoak@hotmail.com
Clues & walk – easy (Some Briers that will be cared for at a later date!)
Stamp: Store Purchased
Status: Alive and well on October 22 (Checked by Placer)
What is “Chowder”?
In places like New England, "chowder" means a thick soup, usually made with fish, clams or corn. But here in Southeastern Illinois it means a lot more.
Around here, "chowder" refers not only to the actual chowder that is eaten, but also to each community's social gathering at which it is made and served.
Each uses its own sometimes-secret recipe, but all start with three basic ingredients: salt pork, onions and cubed potatoes. It is usually cooked outside in 20- to 70-gallon cauldrons where the various ingredients are added to boiling water according to how long each takes to cook, so that all of the ingredients are done at the same time -- usually in about 4 hours.
The kettles are stirred almost continuously while cooking so that the chowder does not scorch. The stirring is done with an 18- to 24-inch wooden "paddle" that has several holes bored in it and is attached a handle at a right angle near the end of it.
Traditionally, "chowder time" begins when tomatoes start to ripen and ends with the first heavy frost in the fall. If you get the opportunity, go to as many as you can and enjoy all Southeastern Illinois has to Offer.
Bone Gap Chowder…How it All Began
There certainly are bigger chowders and perhaps older chowders, but there's not a chowder in Southern Illinois prepared with more tradition than the annual Bone Gap Chowder.
Dozens of volunteers gather every second Saturday in August at the Bone Gap chowder grounds to prepare about 500 gallons of the special concoction that has been prepared over a wood fire using the same recipe for the past 100 years. The chowder is prepared in 16 35-gallon cast iron kettles.
The Bone Gap Chowder started out at the old Yankeetown school, then it moved to the Methodist Church across the road, and since before the '50s its been cooked at the current location. Trees were planted in 1955 to shade the volunteers from the scorching August heat.
How It’s Made
The Bone Gap Chowder Committee uses a secret recipe for the chowder, but it's the hours of preparation that makes the annual event a success.
On the Thursday before the event, Volunteers come in and clean up and mow the chowder grounds. Friday night is spent chopping homegrown Vegetables and preparing all of the other ingredients. On Saturday, they start the fires in the early morning, level the pots, fill them with water, fire them with wood, then level them again before anything goes in.
When the Bone Gap Chowder started almost 100 years ago, volunteers used to go from farm to farm to gather vegetables for the annual event. Now, most of the ingredients are "store bought." Potatoes, cabbage, celery and onions are still freshly chopped. The local farmers would haul their individual pots to the chowder grounds. Each pot was stamped with a number, which corresponds to its owner. Many of the original owners have donated their pots to the chowder committee. Today, those pots are cleaned and oiled at the end of each chowder and stored for safe keeping.
You Decide!
Communities take great pride in their chowders. In fact, in 1958, Edwards County Commissioners proclaimed Edwards County as "Chowder Capital of the World".
There is a long-running debate over which Edwards County community has the oldest chowder — Albion or Bone Gap. Albion claims theirs is older, but they cook with propane now. Bone Gap continues the tradition of using wood, therefore boasting the Longest Running Chowder in Edwards County.
We encourage you to try them both and see for yourself, who’s Chowder really is the best. Albion Chowder is held the Second Saturday in June. Bone Gap Chowder is held the second Saturday in August.
Directions:
The Box is in Bone Gap City Park/Chowder Grounds. From I-64 or U. S. Hwy. 50, take State Hwy. 130. Bone Gap is located aprox 3 miles East from State Hwy 130. Village is clearly marked from 130. The park is located at the North edge of town on State Street, on the West side of the road. (This is the main road through town).
Park at the gravel Entrance to the City Park. North of the gravel drive, there are several rows of trees. Follow the second row of trees West until you reach the end of the row. Still Facing West, look to your left about 60 degrees and you will see 2 Mighty Oak Trees growing close together. Walk a straight path to the Oak Trees. Follow a straight path past the Oak Trees looking N/NW towards the gravel road, but stop once you get to the brush. If you walked out onto the road, then you have gone too far. Look Due North and you will see a path through the brush. This is the old Rail Road Tracks used to run through town about 20 years ago. Follow the path North and aprox 60 paces down the path, and you will see some old Rail Road Ties on the right of the path that were left from the removal of the old Tracks. The Letter Box is buried under some of the old Ties 5 steps off the Beaten Path.
This is a public and visible site; so, please be discreet when retrieving and rehiding the box.
Please be sure the contents are sealed back in the Ziploc Bags and that the Container is sealed and the lid is locked back securely as the container is also watertight! Please rehide the box well under the Rail Road Ties and plant debris so that it can not be seen from any direction.
We will be able to check on this box often, about every Month or so, but, please let us know if you find it or if it is missing or needs attention! E-mail us at friendstoak@hotmail.com