Olive S. Allen represented Crisco in 1924 with the publication of her book “Miss Olive Allen’s Tested Recipes: 200 Selected from many hundreds gathered from all over the world” commonly referred to as “200 Tested Recipes.” [links to reddit] In the booklet Miss Olive Allen is described as being a real home cook with many years experience and a knowledge of “the whimsical tastes of all types of people.” Olive managed kitchens at family hotels, business men’s clubs, canteens and army and navy clubs.
Olive Allen’s parents are interesting. Her father, of Agawam, Massachusetts, was a veteran of the Civil War, fought in significant battles such as Gettysburg, Look-out Mountain, the Wilderness, and Alden, Virginia. In 1870 he married Susanne Bernard, a French-American woman from Hericourt, France, in Connecticut. Olive was born in 1873 in Connecticut. She had an older brother and two younger sisters.
The family moved to the father’s birthplace in Agawam, near the border of Connecticut. As young adults, the sisters and she lived in NYC at the same time–Stella Allen Pratley, married, and Caroline L. Allen, like Olive, single. Olive worked as a cashier at the Criterion hotel in 1900. Olive’s father may have been in a Veteran’s hospital or the soldier’s home in Chelsea, near Boston. However, we do know that Olive’s mother worked as a live-in servant for a physician’s family in Agawam at 675 State St in 1900.
By 1903, Olive lived in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is possible that she was attending Smith College during this time, although further evidence is needed to confirm this. It is also likely she was there in the capacity of caterer, as it was said, “She catered to the taste of business girls and college girls.”
In 1906, an “Olive Allen” was credited as the illustrator for S.C. Woodhouse’s book, “Too Good to Live,” which consisted of 89 pages. This could potentially be our Olive Allen if she was multi-talented, but we need more information to be certain.
In 1909, Olive was back living in New York City. Over the years, she frequently visited her mother in Agawam, although 150 miles away from Manhattan. In 1910 her mother boarded with another retiree in Agawam at 719 Main St.--now an Italian bakery. During one of these visits, Olive hosted a gathering for friends, including Mrs. James Paton and Miss Carrie Patron of Southbridge, Massachusetts. Olive’s father passed away in 1914 after a stay at Chelsea’s Soldiers’ Home.
In 1923, Olive was working with recipes for Proctor & Gamble, and in 1924 she hosted Crisco’s evening radio show. Her show covered a wide range of topics, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Dainties, Quick Breads, Donuts, and more. In addition to her hosting duties, Olive also took on the task of compiling Crisco’s booklet, “200 Tested Recipes.” For this collection, she sourced recipes from all walks of life including renowned international chefs, traditional home cooks, prestigious hotels, charming inns, and even skilled hunters and trappers. These recipes were first syndicated in newspapers in 1923 before collecting them for the booklet. We also found one newspaper article for Crisco written by Olive.
In 1925 Olive S. Allen was the only judge at a Crisco Baking contest, and was described as the Head of the Home Economics Department of the makers of Crisco. Proctor & Gamble was based in Cincinnati Ohio, but since 1907 had a factory [website] at “Port Ivory” on Staten Island to manufacture Ivory Soap. Crisco debuted in 1911, and since the beginning the Staten Island location was where, Crisco oil was made. My guess is that P&G also had a Manhattan office–which I have not found. But my belief is that Olive would have worked there.
At the age of 52, Olive lived across from Central Park on the west side at 1 W. 64th St. New York City, which even then, I believe, was a desirable location. Too early for Jerry Seinfeld, John Lennon, or even Beverly Sills to share the elevator with her, but I believe that was the caliber of her residence. On second thought she may have given her work address!
In 1928, Olive’s mother visited her in “Greenbush-by-the-Sea” for two weeks. While I initially believed that Olive lived in that South Shore city near Boston, it is possible that she was simply vacationing there. It is heartening to know that Olive’s mother at 80 years was still around to be part of her life.
One source said that it was Eleanor Ahern all along who was the Home Economist for Crisco. Perhaps. The title of Home Economist for Crisco for Olive S. Allen was only from one source also. But Olive did author the 1924 Crisco book and the re-issue of the book in 1930, she did host a radio show, and she did have her chosen recipes syndicated as a series in newspapers. But by 1927 it appears to be “Winifred S Carter” who wrote the recipes for Crisco’s cookbooks. But guess what? Winifred S. Carter was “the Betty Crocker” of Crisco. Yes, a made up persona whose ghost writers were busy in the Home Economics department of Crisco supporting the persona. Was Olive S. Allen still working at Crisco after 1930? I have seen no sign of it. Except for the information in the next paragraph, we can not find her.
Given that Olive was raised in Agawam, a smaller town in West Springfield, she had connections to Springfield. In 1931, there was a wedding involving a man whose parents and many others in the wedding party were from Springfield. Could this “Olive Allen of Flushing, NY” be our Olive? If so, she was residing in Flushing, Queens, New York, in 1931.
Picture from Olive S. Allen’s booklet, 200 Tested Recipes. [reddit] We have yet to find a portrait of Olive.
