Introduction: Southside Neighborhood: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes (Centennial Cookbook)

INTRODUCTION

As we in Chandler commemorate our 100th birthday in May of 2012, we also celebrate and honor the stories of the families who have come before us.  The Chandler of today would not exist without the hard work and successes of those who started a farm, labored in the fields, opened a small business, swept floors, taught students, and much more. This book, Southside Neighborhood: 100 Years of Recipes and Stories, shares the experiences and food of some of our oldest African American, Hispanic, and Anglo families in Chandler. This neighborhood history cookbook showcases our historic cultural and ethnic diversity, which today has grown even more varied.  

Southside has existed since the earliest years of Chandler, located for many years south of the city limits. Historically, Southside has been a lower income area—the main neighborhood for African Americans and Hispanics. We selected the historical name of “Southside” for the purposes of this book—although residents have also called the area Southtown, South Chandler, Winn’s Addition, and N.J. Harris/Kesler.

With the approach of our 2012 Centennial year, it seemed the perfect time to look back at this neighborhood and the many families who have contributed to Chandler. We’d like to thank those families who took time to submit their memories, recipes, and photos to us, as well as those who agreed to an oral history interview. Some of the stories also come from oral histories in the Chandler Museum collection, as well as a number of the photographs in the book. Other history came from information collected through the “When Cotton Was King” and annual Hispanic Heritage exhibits produced by the City of Chandler. All stories, interviews, recipes and photos in this book will become part of the Museum’s collection.

The book is divided into three chapters based on periods of the neighborhood’s development. Each chapter includes an historical overview, as well as the stories of families that arrived in Southside during that time period. Families are presented alphabetically. Some families provided a recipe, others did not. An index for food types is available at the end of the book.

A PDF version of this book is available online at www.chandler100th.com and ChandlerpediA.

Enjoy!

Jean Reynolds
Project Director
Centennial Coordinator