You’ve grew up seeing the face on the pancake box or syrup bottle, but do you know the story of the real woman behind the name “Aunt Jemima”?
Her name was Anna Short Harrington, and her life was anything but ordinary. She went from growing up on a South Carolina plantation to becoming a household name in kitchens across America and it all happened after a chance moment at the New York State Fair.
From South Carolina Roots to New York Dreams
Anna Short Harrington was born on January 30, 1897, in Wallace, South Carolina. One of nine children, Anna learned to cook at a young age, a skill that would eventually become her claim to fame. She and her family lived on the Pegues Place plantation as sharecroppers, and life was tough.
After her marriage to Weldon Harrington ended, Anna made a bold move in 1927 by heading north to New York, searching for a better life for herself and her five children.
Life in Syracuse and a Fateful Day at the Fair
At first, Anna worked as a maid for a family in Nedrow, just south of Syracuse. The following year, she reunited with her children and settled in Syracuse for good. To make ends meet, she took a job cooking for fraternity houses at Syracuse University. Her pancakes became legendary in the area, so much so that in 1935, while flipping flapjacks at the New York State Fair, she caught the attention of the Quaker Oats Company.
Becoming “Aunt Jemima”
That day at the fair changed everything. Quaker Oats hired Anna to become the face of their pancake brand: Aunt Jemima. With her warm personality, Southern cooking chops, and distinct accent, Anna traveled the country making appearances and building a fan base. Her likeness was featured in ads, including one in Woman’s Home Companion that emphasized her Southern charm. At the height of her fame, she even had her own TV show.
A New Life, and a Big House in the 15th Ward
With her success, Anna purchased a massive 22 room home on Monroe Street in Syracuse’s 15th Ward. It had a backyard bungalow and served not only as her home but as a place where she rented out rooms to boarders. Despite the neighborhood being labeled one of the worst slums in the world at the time, Anna created stability and opportunity. Her house was later demolished in the 1960s for the construction of Interstate 81.
End of an Era and a Legal Battle Decades Later
Anna Harrington passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 21, 1955, at the age of 58 and she was laid to rest in Syracuse’s Oakwood Cemetery. Her legacy lived on through the iconic brand, but her descendants say she never received the compensation she deserved…