Texas Woman’s University preserves centuries of culinary history in rare cookbook collection

Texas Woman’s University in Denton houses one of the largest and most unique cookbook collections in the country. The archive includes rare items dating back to the 1600s, handwritten recipes with quill and ink, and historic cookbooks featuring everything from medicinal remedies to early culinary techniques. The collection began in the 1960s with a donation from a former Dallas Morning News food editor and now includes thousands of cookbooks, menus, and recipe leaflets, offering a glimpse into culinary history and life in past eras.