Bake it in pieces without paring. Those with the hardest shell are oftenest the best eating, but difficult to divide neatly. The common expedient is to put a whole squash in a steamer, after washing off the outside, and let it stay there half an hour. That softens the shell sufficiently, and it can be cut in strips about the width of two fingers. Place these in a baking pan, brush them with a brush dipped in butter and sprinkled with a little salt and a little sugar. Bake without burning, with greased paper, if necessary.
Whitehead’s Family Cook Book, 1891