The Outreach Education Committee's history artifact for its January presentation at the Senior Center was a lard bucket from O'Neill Bros. Market, a meat and grocery store located at 14 S. Main St. - the building currently occupied by restaurant Hen of the Wood. Brothers Will and Tom O'Neill operated a slaughterhouse in town from which they stocked their market between 1896 and 1915.
According to committee member and presenter Skip Flanders, pigs were important livestock and lard was a common household product at the time, used for everything from cooking to waterproofing boots and polishing tools to prevent rust. Many rendered lard at home or purchased it from the local market in buckets. This bucket from the O'Neill Bros., labeled "Kettle Rendered Pure Lard," held 5 pounds of the greasy stuff.
In 1911, Proctor & Gamble invented Crisco "because they all thought lard was bad for you," Flanders explained. However, it turned out that the cottonseed oil in Crisco was actually worse! (Today's Crisco has stopped using partially hydrogenated oils because of their dangerous trans fats.)
Will O'Neill, who became the sole owner of the business after brother Tom decided to focus on his lumber interests, eventually sold in June 1915. Will was appointed Waterbury's postmaster the year before.
The next History Artifact and Pop-up Library at the Waterbury Senior Citizens Center will take place on Feb. 5 during the noon lunch.
