But oyster farming became necessary to meet the demand

. Oysters were transported by wagon freight and were kept cold with ice from the local ice houses on the route

The oysters were fed a mixture of salt water and corn meal poured down through the barrels

They stayed fat and healthy on their journey

A six to eight- inch oyster was common place. Oysters were a thrilling and exotic fare for people of the Old West whose diet consisted largely of pork fat, flour, and beans. Champagne and cold oysters were a favorite in Santa Fe, NM and Lincoln was famous in Illinois for his oyster roasts.

Pickled oysters were a favorite of the nineteenth-century, in fact, President U.S

Grant was known to have liked them better than almost any other food.