Ketchup in varying forms has existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. However, the first reference to “Ketchup Man” in Amish Country appears in the late 19th
century. In 1880, entrepreneur Jeremiah Yoder brings the first tomato &
vinegar based ketchup products to the Anabaptists of Lancaster, PA. He is said
to have built his first roadside ketchup stand near what is today Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, PA.
Henry Heinz from Pittsburgh had only recently developed his own variety of commercial ketchup in 1876. The innovation of preserving ketchup with vinegar is what allowed the product to keep longer and resulted in many harmful preservatives like coal tar being removed from recipes. Heinz also managed to manufacture ketchup with uniform taste and quality. It is believed that at some point, Jeremiah Yoder had left his small Amish village and traveled to Pittsburgh, likely to purchase agricultural equipment, and was introduced to Heinz ketchup.
Slowly, disturbing and sinister allegations began to emerge
about Yoder’s ketchup manufacturing process. Several of his former employees accused him of making a bargain with the Devil in exchange for business success. Others claimed Yoder was a practitioner of hexerei or witchcraft. Some even claimed Yoder was simply a cold blooded murderer who used his wealth and influence to insulate himself from prosecution. These claims and their evidence (or lack thereof) will be the topic of forthcoming blog posts on this site.
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| Shady Maple Smorgasbord |
Henry Heinz from Pittsburgh had only recently developed his own variety of commercial ketchup in 1876. The innovation of preserving ketchup with vinegar is what allowed the product to keep longer and resulted in many harmful preservatives like coal tar being removed from recipes. Heinz also managed to manufacture ketchup with uniform taste and quality. It is believed that at some point, Jeremiah Yoder had left his small Amish village and traveled to Pittsburgh, likely to purchase agricultural equipment, and was introduced to Heinz ketchup.
Yoder was a bit of a huckster and a snake oil salesman, a
bit like infomercial hosts of today. Not only did he pitch ketchup as a great
tasting sauce, but he also claimed it had medicinal properties. He wove spellbinding tales of a miracle cure for conditions from sunburn to small pox. Hapless townsfolk used ketchup as shampoo, soap and even toothpaste.
Yoder was a
master at separating folks from their hard earned dollars. He quickly became
known across the region as “The Ketchup Man.” Yoder was able to build an empire before Heinz Ketchup had an opportunity to gain market share in Amish
Country. His operation quickly expanded to include five large roadside ketchup
stands scattered across Lancaster County. He personally maintained his original stand
where he worked six days a week from sunrise to sunset.
Yoder was a
master at separating folks from their hard earned dollars. He quickly became
known across the region as “The Ketchup Man.” Yoder was able to build an empire before Heinz Ketchup had an opportunity to gain market share in Amish
Country. His operation quickly expanded to include five large roadside ketchup
stands scattered across Lancaster County. He personally maintained his original stand
where he worked six days a week from sunrise to sunset.
Jeremiah “Ketchup Man” Yoder enjoyed unparalleled success
until 1901 when Heinz products began to appear in local shops. It was around
this time that local residents began to notice something strange about Yoder’s
tomato ketchup. First of all, tomatoes didn’t grow easily in the central
valleys of Pennsylvania. Secondly, Yoder’s ketchup had a slightly metallic,
iron-like taste. Many people hadn’t noticed because Yoder’s was the first
ketchup they had ever tasted. Now that they could compare it with
Heinz products something seemed amiss. Heinz products were high
quality and definitely tasted like tomatoes. Yoder's ketchup was strange.
