Puddin Hill

.

.

One of the stops on was at Mary of Puddin Hill. First made famous for their fruit cakes in 1848. The Puddin Hill tradition began in 1839 when James and Mary Horton came to the heart of the Blackland Prairie region of northeast Texas. James Horton had received 620 acres of land as payment for his services to the Republic of Texas. As his descendants like to tell it, the new country was short on money, but long on land, so that's how James Horton was paid.

.

It had rained the day the Horton’s arrived at their new home. Rainwater makes any patch of Texas blackland soil a soggy, gummy mess. While his wife Mary struggled through the thick, black mud. "This is like walking through pudding," she said. It was inspiration enough. Horton spread his arms wide and proudly shouted, "Well then, welcome to Puddin Hill!"

.

That Mary Horton was the first "Mary" on Puddin Hill, and it was her recipe for pecan fruit cake that has been passed on from generation to generation as a holiday tradition.

.

Caleb and Abigail's favorite part of the tour was the quest where they had to find certain items in the museum portion of the factory, like what were the giant eggs made of? Not styrofoam but sugar!