The St. Louis Public Library recently shared a gem I had to pass along — a Thanksgiving dinner menu from the Hotel Statler dated November 30, 1922. My favorite detail is inside:
Thanksgiving dinner was $2.00 per person.
The menu is filled with familiar holiday dishes: Blue Point cocktails, cream of fresh tomato soup, roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, mince pie, pumpkin pie, and even Frozen Nesselrode Pudding. A complete feast for less than the price of a coffee today.
For some history, the Hotel Statler opened in St. Louis in 1917 as one of the most elegant and up to date hotels in the country, and notably the first hotel in the world to be fully air conditioned. The famous Crystal Ballroom on the top floor, along with the dining rooms and bars, were 
destinations in themselves. Statler Hotels, founded by E. M. Statler, introduced many of the modern hotel standards we take for granted today, including in room bathrooms, built in closets, and more efficient service layouts. The St. Louis building still stands and is now the Marriott St. Louis Grand.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, it is fun to glance back at what the holiday looked like in St. Louis just over a century ago.
Happy Thanksgiving!
