A common ingredient for dressing in Ohio is oysters. Ohio is a long way from the ocean, where did this start?

Question

It seems since this is an old family tradition, were many families from this area originally from costal areas or might these be fresh water oysters from the great lakes?

Answer 1

I'm in Ohio, and yes a lot of people like oysters around the holidays-especially Thanksgiving. No oysters in the Great Lakes. Oysters are a traditional food to many people because they were served at the first Thanksgivings. It's not unique to Ohio. A lot of people in Ohio do have original roots in New England-the families moved to Ohio after the Revolutionary War as part of the Firelands Tract-maybe people brought their love of oysters with them when they settled "west".

Answer 2

The Westward movement into the Ohio Valley many settlers were from costal areas. Oyster dressing was very popular in the 19th century. People have special memories of Christmas past and they would have brought those cherished recipes with them. They found a way to bring the sea to them either by the National Road or The lake or river systems.

Answer 3

Oysters might not be found in the Great Lakes , but plenty of boats from the eastern coast have been coming through there regularly for a long time.
And some of their cargo included oysters.Along with many other goods that weren't originally found in that area.