H70.142.39

• california gold rush

Lemon squeezer. Description: Hinged wooden lemon squeezer. From the History Information Station: Object: Lemon squeezer, factory made. History: Lemon juice was a common flavoring in the 19th century cooking. But lemons were expensive in California in the 1850s. Southern California's famous citrus orchards hadn't been planted yet, so lemons had to be shipped here from the East. Only a family with some extra money could afford to use a lemon squeezer.