Jean Cox, State Supervisor of Household Economics, wrote this letter regarding the pioneer diet to Dr. E.V. McCollum, nutrition specialist, Johns Hopkins University.

January 17, 1924.

Dear Mr. McCollum: –

While I think you realize how difficult it is to get any first hand information in pioneer food stories, I hesitated whether to send this 1847 pioneer food history which I obtained form Mrs. Adelia Sidwell, one of the original pioneers, who was only six years old when she came to Utah. She is eighty-two years old now and was too feeble to answer the question very specifically or tell much about disease. The most prevalent disease was what she called “Mountain Fever.”

One thing she emphasized was the almost continuous hunger and desire for sweets and fats.
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