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Sam Snead and Hog Killing Time
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Sam Snead and Hog Killing Time


Apr 17, 2020, 3:52 PM

Join me in going back to yesteryear when it was hog-killing time in North Florida. This would be from the 1920's until the beginning of WW2, and for a short time after WW2. Few, if any farms, had a refrigeration unit and there were no "locker" units where one could store their fresh meat. Most of the pork meats were preserved by smoking or by a salt bath. The weather was the determining factor for"Hog killing day", it had to be cold.

If a farmer was going to butcher one hog, it wasn't a big deal, but if he planned to butcher 6 - 8 hogs, that was a huge task. There was a need for several strong men and many women and a long, hard day of work. Neighbors shared work and on the set date neighbors came with several No. 2 and No. 3 wash tubs, several sharp knives and aprons.

A fire had been built early that morning to heat a huge vat of water. After the hog was shot, it had to be dipped in the hot water to facilitate removing the hair. A hog weighing about 250 - 300 pounds was a load for several men to handle. After the hair had been removed, the butchering began. The "innards" were removed and then the hams and shoulders. The women prepared these parts for the smoking process. Excess fat was trimmed off and thus went into a container to be rendered for lard. There were other parts, bacon, loin, pork chops, etc. Then there were trimmings for sausage. Most of this would be destined for the smoke house. The neighbors took some of the meat home for immediate consumption. During the next cold spell, everyone gathered at another neighbor's "hog killing day" and the process was repeated.

I never actively participated in one of the "hog killing days" but just from observation, that is the nastiest and greasiest job I've ever seen. But there is nothing that could beat the taste of those hams, bacon and sausage after being in that smoke house.

Now, about Sam Snead. As far as I know, Sam Snead never made it to one of those "hog killing days" but there was a joke about Snead that indicates he may have been in that area sometime in the 1950's. He was driving his Cadillac down a country road one day with the air conditioner going full blast. No one in that area was even aware an automobile had such a thing. Snead saw the gentleman walking down the road going in the same direction as him. Snead stopped and asked if he needed a ride. Being a hot day, he readily accepted the offer. After riding a few minutes, the farmer told Snead, "I was going down to another field I have to see if it's ready to cut for hay, but the weather has turned so cold I've decided to go back to the house and kill a hog".

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Re: Sam Snead and Hog Killing Time


Apr 17, 2020, 4:27 PM

Big fan of Snead's, you can catch a lot of his Shell matches on YouTube. I have watched quite a few over the past month.

My extended family had Hog Killin' days until the early 70's. I participated. We would butcher about 20 hogs, there would be 30-50 people there to help. Everyone had a "station". It really was a great time for all to get together.

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Re: Sam Snead and Hog Killing Time


Apr 17, 2020, 5:26 PM

When I first started going to golf I'd watch him on the range hitting balls to his caddie. He was in his 60's and an amazing ball striker. I used to marvel that he ever hit a ball off line with that swing. It was amazing

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