The meat market in every village was always busy. When one considers the magnitude of demand for meat, its not surprising that these trades turned into businesses after the change in 1932. There were at least six operational kitchens in South Amana alone, each feeding about 40 people. Meat was served at every meal. You do the math!
Before I discuss the meat market, I would like to mention the ice houses. Every village had at least one building dedicated to holding ice. The ice was placed in the top of the "icebox" or refrigerator to keep food cool. To begin, ice was harvested from the ice pond, lily lake, or Iowa River. The ice pond was made in Homestead for this purpose. It was then taken to the ice house. This building had very thick walls that were insulated with sawdust. Sawdust was also used as an insulator around and between the ice. This was replaced every year.
Ice was delivered twice a week. The days of delivery varied depending on the village that you lived in. There were two ice houses in South. One was south of the General Store, the other directly north of the meat market. Both of these buildings have been demolished. The following pictures are taken from postcards that my oma has. It was fairly common to have postcards instead of pictures because they were cheaper. They date to 1921. I sharpened the bottom one for better visibility.
The meat market was made from brick. I was unable to find the construction date. The main supply of meat came from pigs and cattle. As a rule for South Amana, two beef were slaughtered per week. Winter time always meant an increase in the meat production. Between January and February, 30 to 40 pigs were slaughtered. These were put into sausage, smoked, and also distributed to the kitchens. This employed 4-5 men full time. Another favorite (at least of mine) was schwatamache, or head cheese. This was also made more often in the winter. The meat was delivered three times a week. It came on a large horse-drawn wagon to the kitchens. The South Amana Meat Market was open until the 1950s.
After the closing of the meat market, the Colony Market Place was born. Run for many years by Carl Oehl, it was a favorite to many people. The building is still currently a restaurant. The Marketplace offers mostly nontraditional food. It also does not serve things family style as most of the other restaurants do in the Amanas. These facts, however, do not take away from the wonderful eating experience had there. The old smoke house and domed basement add a touch of history to the elegant setting. A varied menu is sure to be a hit with everyone.
There are still two operating meat markets in the Amana Colonies. Homestead and Amana hold them. Though Amana meat can be purchased at a variety of places, it always seems best coming from the meat market!
Picture courtesy of the Amana Heritage Society.