Photo of 1810 Emerson House - Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

The Murder of Thibault, the Trader

One of our suites is named in honor of Joseph Thibault, a French Canadian trader, Indian interpreter and first settler in the Beloit area.The following is an excerpt from the Wisconsin Magazine of History regarding his mysterious disappearance. Beloit had for long cherished the memory of it first known white settle, Joseph Thibault, who began to…

Photo of 1810 Emerson House - Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

Gluten Free Cherry Bread Recipe

Ingredients: 1 egg 2 tablespoons of butter ½ cup sugar 1 cup of gluten-free flour (I used Domata Recipe Ready Flour) 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon of vanilla ¼ of almond milk 1 cup of fresh or frozen cherries, well drained Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. Grease and…

Photo of 1810 Emerson House - Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

The Pineapple in Colonial Architecture

No one was a bigger fan of the pineapple than Virginia’s William Byrd. For the James River door next to his impressive home at Westover, in 1730 Byrd ordered a carved door-surround from London. It featured a broken- scroll pediment with a pineapple in its center. Across the river from Westover, Brandon Plantation in Prince…

Photo of 1810 Emerson House - Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

Pineapples = Hospitality

The sweetness and unusual appearance of the pineapple made it a sought-after delicacy in colonial America. When it was served to guests, they were naturally flattered at the honor, and thus may have evolved the idea that the pineapple was considered a sign of the highest form of hospitality. By the Gilded Age and through…