Bean Soup Traditional Geocache
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Congratulations to Jockster on the FTF !!!
McClure, Pennsylvania is proud of its living memorial to all veterans of all wars at the annual Bean Soup Festival and Fair, which originated by McClure (and surrounding area) veterans of the Civil War. On July 23, 1883, a group of veterans of the Civil War met on the second story of the Joseph Peters Blacksmith Shop in Bannerville, PA, for the purpose of organizing a Grand Army of the Republic Post. After several preliminary meetings, the first session of the newly formed post was held on October 20, 1883.
This organization held many get-togethers and observed "bean soup festivals" from time to time, but not until 1891 did this Bean Soup Celebration invite the public to a real Civil War bean soup dinner.
Records show Comrade Ner B. Middleswarth was the chairman in charge of this celebration and secured from the war department "real hard tack" to be served with the bean soup. Comrade Henry Kahley, who was a cook in the Civil War was in charge of the soup, assisted by another veteran, Comrade Aaron Bickel. The thinning of the ranks in the early 1900's caused them to feel that the celebration should be carried on by their sons.
After that, the Henry K. Ritter Camp #65 Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War and citizens of McClure, and from 1937 on, the McClure Realty Corporation have put forth the effort to present this novel celebration which uses tons of beans, a ton of beef and a ton of crackers to serve the tens of thousands who attend each year. The making of the soup in large iron kettles is done over a wood-fired battery of furnaces capable of handling 16 large iron kettles at one time. Each man stirs two of the kettles during two hours and twenty minute shifts.
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