Making Molasses

Harvesting or processing a crop often involved an entire family or multiple families. The families that shared in this labor exchanged not only goods and tools but the knowledge required to produce a crop at any stage of the process. Not only that, sharing this responsibility also helped to foster strong friendships, all while keeping families stocked with enough food and supplies to last through the harsh winters.

This photo (circa 1890s), taken by S.A. McCanless of Asheville, captures at least 21 people—men, women, and children—involved in making molasses in the Newfound Community just east of Canton. Stalks of sorghum cane were cut and squeezed through a roller mill turned by a mule or horse. Cane juice was collected in a pan and cooked over a fire until the juice boiled out, leaving a syrupy molasses. Machines, such as the sputtering hit-and-miss engine, were later used to speed up the arduous, smoke-filled operation.

Photograph courtesy Canton Historical Museum