In this video I read the second half of the third chapter of my book, which is titled “Essence and Peddlers”. In addition to the story of the people who grew and distilled peppermint oil, I discovered that Ashfield was the main home of the famous Yankee Peddlers of the nineteenth century, who brought goods to the remotest farms and villages of early America, along with news and ideas from the northeast (including notions that some southerners found disturbing). And I discovered just how significant peppermint and the peddler trade were to Ashfield’s economy.
A reminder, you can currently get a hardcover copy of the book, produced by the Yale University Press, for the bargain price of $11.48!
Peppermint Kings, Chapter 3, part 2