Today in History: Mrs. Abby Fisher

Today in History–June 10–the Library of Congress features Mrs. Abby Fisher, who went from being an enslaved plantation cook to an upscale caterer and cookbook author after migrating West to San Francisco, California. On this day in 2003, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation opened a lunch-style restaurant, Mrs. Fisher’s Southern Cooking, in Dearborn, Michigan. Discover more tantalizing tidbits by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access related primary sources. 

What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, Soups, Pickles, Preserves, Etc. 1881

Abby Fisher: Enslaved Cook Who Became a Celebrity Chef PBS Learning

Lunch with the Libraries: Conserving the Legacy of Abby Fisher video, John Hopkins Alumni Association

Juneteenth: Remembrances & Recipes

The African-American Mosaic: Western Migration

The City of San Francisco map, c 1878

Related resources

• Today in History: Fannie Farmer & Cooking
• Community Cookbooks: an Online Collection
• Collections Spotlight: Works by Civil War Era African American Women