Malinda Russell wrote and published her cookbook in the first part of 1866 in the town of Paw Paw, Michigan. The book was typist and printed at the office of the local newspaper. Unfortunately, American Midwestern towns did not have fire departments in the 1860s. Devastating fires were common. It seems that the entire print run was burned up in a fire that destroyed a good portion of Paw Paw’s downtown. Only one copy is known to survive. It is currently owned by the library of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.
Fortunately for us, through the magic of the PDF, this book, which is in the public domain, is available for free from various sources online. We have downloaded a copy which we make available to you.
This work is in the public domain so there are no restrictions on your use of this PDF.
Malinda Russell: African American Cook and Author 