I have wanted to try a recipe like this for some time. So when I started my research I was surprised to see how really old the recipe is. In my collection of cook books the first example is in Fannie Farmers Boston Cooking School Cook Book from 1896. Her recipe did not make it to the final cut, unfortunately. The recipe I chose to try is from a new addition to my collection. The Woman's Home Companion of 1946. It gave some variations at the end which I include here. I have reworded the text to make things flow a lot easier and to make more sense, to me anyway. I do hope you give it a try. It is a good deal better than anything I have ever had right out of a can.

Pick through beans to remove any stones or debris. Wash well and drain. Place in a 3 to 4 quart oven-safe stock pot or large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat and cover for 45 to 90 minutes. You want the beans to be rehydrated but not over-soaked to the point they are bursting. Drain and rinse well.

Return the beans to the pot and add 6 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about an hour to an hour and a half, till beans are soft but not falling apart. Drain the liquid from the beans and set it aside. Place the beans back into the pot, a covered casserole, or the traditional bean pot for the final cooking. Measure about 1 cup of bean broth and stir in the salt, brown sugar, molasses and mustard and pour over beans. Add just enough more bean broth to make it a little soupy. Press ham into the beans and under the liquid. Bring to a simmer; place in a slow oven (250° to 275° F.) and bake 6 to 8 hours, adding more bean broth as needed to keep beans moist. Remove cover for last half hour of cooking. Makes about 12 servings

This would work well in a crock pot for the last long cooking time.

Baked Beans, Connecticut Style: Bury 1 to 2 medium-sized onions in center of the bean pot for the last 2 or 3 hours of baking time. A few bits of bay leaf may also be added.

Baked Beans, Vermont Style: Substitute ¼ cup maple syrup for molasses

Baked Beans, New Hampshire Style: Increase brown sugar to 1/3 cup, decrease molasses to 2 tablespoons. Add 1/3 cup chili sauce or ketchup, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and a few bits of bay leaf.