Got Milk?

Book Excerpt Chapter 7.2 - If These Walls Could Talk

You know, writing a book about this city's history - all connected to this house - is such an interesting journey. The people who lived here, their lives, and their stories keep guiding my research in unexpected directions. As an immigrant learning about various times in American history this way, I find myself connecting dots about why things are how they are today. Sometimes these discoveries completely change my perspective on things I never thought much about before.

Take Chapter 7's story about Dr. Edwina Drake Frech. When I first started researching her work with milk safety in early 1900s Jersey City, I had absolutely no idea I was diving into something that would later become part of today's heated political discussions. I mean, there I was, reading through old newspaper articles about "clean milk" that had my stomach churning, forming strong opinions about something I never thought I'd need to have an opinion on - because hey, I'm just a city lady who buys milk from a store shelf, right? LOL!

But that's what's so fascinating about history - how it keeps repeating itself, often because some stories get forgotten or aren't taught properly. For my paid subscribers, I'm sharing below a detailed excerpt about this remarkable woman who was sometimes mistaken for a man in census records (appearing as "Dr. Edwin Frech"), and who zoomed around Jersey City in her Model T Ford like a hero with a big heart for the city's most vulnerable residents.

Of course, you might have entirely different opinions about things like raw milk and its benefits - and that's totally cool! You do you. I'm just here to share what was happening in this city at a particular time, and to tell you about this total badass who once lived in my house and who I think about now every time I take my milk out of the fridge.

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