The Old Man’s Bake

When people in Rehoboth think of clam bakes, Frances Farm or the Antiquarian Society’s August Clam Bake usually come to mind. But few realize that one of the earliest clam bakes in Rehoboth began in the Hornbine neighborhood—166 years ago!

The Hornbine Baptist Church, located at the corner of Baker Street and Hornbine Road (now Holy Cross Catholic Church), held its first clam bake in 1860. The event took place in an apple orchard across the street, behind the Hornbine School. Tickets for that very first bake cost 35 cents, and although it was intended to raise money for the minister, the net profit came to only 10 cents. The congregation decided to donate that small sum to Angelina Baker to help pay for kerosene used during evening meetings.

Over time, the Hornbine clam bakes grew enormously. It’s said that 1,500 to 1,800 people attended from many surrounding towns each year! The bakes became major community gatherings—reunions filled with music, fellowship, and speeches from local politicians. (see picture) Eventually, the tradition expanded to two bakes each year, one in September and another in October.

Around 1950, the event moved to Hornbine Acres, just down the road from the church. In 1974, it shifted again to G.G. Sadler’s Clambake on Plain Street. By 1978, attendance ranged from 180 to 250 people.

The Hornbine School Museum holds among its papers a remarkable 1876 letter inviting friends to attend the “Old Man’s Bake,” which we believe refers to the long‑running Hornbine Church Clam Bake.

In this article, we have included the original handwritten letter. It offers a humorous and charming glimpse into everyday speech in the Hornbine neighborhood 150 years ago. The spelling is especially entertaining—many words are spelled phonetically, reflecting how the writer pronounced them at the time. Following the original letter is a full transcription for easier reading. And finally, you’ll find the letter rewritten in modern language.

OLD MAN’S BAKE — Modern Translation FROM THE 1876 LETTER

There—didn’t I tell you the Old Man’s Bake would happen? You’ve been going around saying it wouldn’t, but it will, and right on time for the occasion. This is the Centennial year, and we’re going to have a bake to match the celebration. Everyone’s waiting for it, and you’ll get it, sure enough.

Don’t worry about the price—really, don’t. We’ll make the ticket prices suit you.

Note: Ticket prices, as usual (more or less), adjusted for the times: One ticket: 50 cents, 60 cents, or 75 cents. Two tickets: twice as much, whichever price you choose. Or the other way around—75, 60, or 50 cents for one ticket, and two tickets twice the price.

Children under fourteen: As much as we can get—say 40, 55, 65, or 70 cents for one ticket, and twice that for two. Children are a good deal bigger than they used to be! Come early to get your choice of tickets.

Last year our bake and festival happened right on time. This year, to suit the times, it will happen in dry weather—if it doesn’t rain soon. If it does rain on the appointed day, it will be postponed to sometime during the celebration. Note: Remember the times!

BILL OF FARE

The bake will consist of large and small clams in the shell, corn on the cob, burrolock fish, potatoes with a beetle (masher) and all the fixings. Plenty of stuffing—stuff, stuff, stuff!—and country butter. That’s the whole bake.

There will be scallops, fish, and ice cream for sale over on the refreshment tables. We’ll take care of your old horse, too. “Poison cakes” (probably spiced cakes) for sale. Lots of cucumber water on the grounds.

Don’t think you’re going to get a dollar for your day’s work if you don’t come until after eight o’clock. Our folks are loud here at eleven.

The Ban-Ban Band, the Calithumpian Brass-Kettle Band, will provide the music for you—yes indeed! Look for the ticket price that suits you.

Watermelons by the chunk! Peaches—two for a quart, or a quart and three pints for a quarter.

Be sure to bring your wife to pick the scraps and ends off the tables after we’re done eating. Note: Take notice!

Waiters—be sure to get all your wives, children, uncles, aunts, and all your wife’s relations to sit down and eat with you.

Peddlers of all kinds, and pack peddlers loaded on the ground—come with all your cross-guns, bows and arrows, and big beer. We’ll allow you, yes we will. You don’t need to stand out in the road looking over the world!

Hurrah for Gays and Tilden! (Tilten was running for President) "Hooray for the merry fellows and for Tilden!"

We’re all hearty and tilled‑in men here—and the old women too.

We’ll furnish you with tea and coffee to go along with your doughnuts and cheese.

Come by every path and every road, and every other road—come by mail, come by team, come by sail, and come by steam.

Everyone will get here on the arrival of the trains, as follows:

• Arrive from Buttermilk Hill at eight o’clock.
• From Hot-and-Cold Lane, twenty‑two minutes past eight.
• The Omnibus will leave Sharpe’s Lot at nine and a quarter.
• The steamer Hollyhorn will leave Bing and Beetletown just in time to get here.

All coming to this Bake must be of age, or have cut their eye‑teeth and lampers (baby gums) down.

Don’t worry about the price of tickets.

If the appointed day is stormy, come the day before. Whatever we have left, we’ll put up at public auction.

The above—which I take my sworn oath to—I respectfully submit to a frowning world.

Signed for me (drawing) This day, Ankno Dominose, 1876

(The closing line may be a comic signature, meaning:

“Written this day, signed (in jest) by ‘Ain’t‑No‑Domine,’ 1876.”

It may reflect the playful, self‑mocking humor typical of rural New England clambake announcements of the late 19th century.)

OLD MAN’S BAKE

Thare i told you the old Man’s Bake

wood kum orf, for awl you hav ben round telin

it woodn’t, it will cum off in time to sute the

times so thare. This is sentenyal ear, an we

ar goin tu hav a bake too sute the centenyel.

awl ar gappin for it an you shal hav it so you will.

You need’nt bee wurrin bout the price you need’nt,

We ar goin two hav the price sute you we wil.

N B (picture of a hand) price ov tickits as yoosual, more or less

To sute the times, price ov wun tickit, 50 sents

60 sence an 75 cense, for 2 tickits just twice as

mutch, or vicy varcy, one tickit 75 sents 60 sence

50 cense, or 2 tickits twice as mutch.

(stick figures of 4 children) under foteen ears, as mutch as we kan git

as felers, one tickit 40, 55, 65 or 70 sence, 2 tickits

2 times es mutch or (l?)other way, children as good

deel biger than tha be or uster bee! kum arly too

git yer choice ov tickits, last ear our bake an

fistyval kum orf in dew time, this yeer, two sute

thee times it will cum orf in dri time if it don’t

rane fore soon, if it dus rane on thee pinted da

it will bee postponedmortemed to sumtime

durin thee times, N.B. (hand pointing right) remenburr the times!!

Bil ov fair!!!!! The bake wil kornsiss ov large

an smawl klams in thee shel. korn on the korb

Burrolock fish, taters with a beetle an all.

Stuff stuff stufffffffffffin, up kountry

butter filed thare that’s orl ov the bake

Skars, feeshuns, an i screem for sail out yender

on the freshmunt tables. We wil take kare ov

your old hoss so we wil. pisen cakes for sail.

Good deel ov kowkumbur worter on the Gronn.

you need’nt think yer goin tew git a doler for

your dase wurk if yew don’t kum til arter

ater klock, kno leventeenth our foks loud

here. Ban Ban Band, the kalythumpeon

braskittle band wil dispurse thee moosick

for yu, dew thare!! Look for the price ov tikits

tu sute yu. Watermillynns by the chunk!!

peeches 2 for a quart or a quort an 3 pints for a

quorter. (hand) Bee shure an bring yer ole wumon

two pick the orts as eends orf ov thee tables, arter

wee git dun eetin, N. B. whitch is tu tak knotiss

(hand) waiters, bee shure an git awl your wives an

childrun an unkles an ants an orl yer wives lashuns

tu set doun an eet with yew, (hand) Pedlars ov ol

kines an pak pedlars lowd on the groun, kum on

with orl your cross gunns, an bo narrws an big

beer, we’l low you, sow we will, ye need’nt sta

out in thee rode ye need’nt, lookin ovur the worl!!!

Hoosaw for Gays an Tildin!!!! we ar orl hare

an tildunn men here an the ole woomun tu.

We wil funish ye with tee an korphee tew go long

with yer dunnuts an chese. kum bi evry path

an evy road an bi evy uther rode kum bi mail,

kum bi teem, kome bi sail an kum bi steem.

oll wil git hear on the rival ov the tranes, as folers

rive frum butter-milk-hil at ater klok. frum hot-

an-kole lane twentytu minit pass ate, omlybussssss

wil leave sharps -lottt at an nour anaquorter of ten

the steemur hollyhorn wil leev Bng an Beetle toun

jess in time tu git hear, so it wil.

awl kumin tu this Bake muss bee ov age, or hav

kut thare i teeth an lampers a’nt doun.

Dont wurry bout the price ov tickits

if the da pinted bee stormy, kome the da

Bfour, what we have left, we shal put up

at publik vandew. the above, which

i take mi swearin, oaf too, I spectfuly

submit too a frownin wurld.

Sined four me (picture of man with top hat & beard) for me

(“I SAY,I’m Chairman” – written in pencil) (Picture of mn with top hat, goatee and pointer)

This Da

Ankno Dominose 1876