MUSCODA - Back at the end of October the local American Legion Post put its hamburger frying equipment away for the winter. The Legion “Burgers in the Park” effort has steadily been amazing regarding the number of burgers sold on the last Wednesday evenings of each warm month. The event is held in Railroad Park.

While looking through files of past newspapers I found an account of another very successful Muscoda food event. It took place in November, 1975. The local Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event that also included many special sale items offered during a weekend and climaxed with a special food item served in Railroad Park. The food item was 20-cent beef sandwiches.

The November 6 issue of this newspaper carried a front- page picture of Dave Hill using a canoe paddle to stir a large vat containing 250 pounds of beef which was then made into 2,260 beef sandwiches. They were all sold during a 2 1/2 hour period in Railroad Park. It was noted that the beef was freshly sliced – not the canned variety.

For the entertainment of persons eating, a 20-piece band from Riverdale High School performed.

Now that we are in the holiday season, local cooks and homemakers may want to try a special recipe. Even though there are not as many big families as there once were, perhaps the following will help someone. In December of 1975 it was considered to be a “new recipe for Elephant Stew.”

You take a medium size elephant and cut it into one-inch squares. You then cover them completely with mushroom soup and cook over a wood fire for three weeks.