What’s For Dinner?

Hotel Witter – Demolished in 1950 (South Wood County Historical Museum)

What was served for Thanksgiving Dinner in 1929:

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) Nov 26, 1929

Cranberry Jell Easily Made by Newest Recipe

Use of Baking Powder Makes Less Sugar Necessary In Preparation of Sauce

With Thanksgiving close at hand the homemaker is thinking seriously of pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. A new cranberry recipe made with Rumford all-phosphate baking powder is offered here.

Prepare as usual in proportion of one quart of cranberries to 2 cups water. Cook till berries are tender. If preferred clear, rub through sieve to take out seeds and skins.

Return to the fire adding to every quart of fruit 1 cup of sugar (instead of the usual two cups) and 1 level teaspoon of baking powder. Cook only till the sugar is dissolved. Chill before serving.

This cranberry sauce will be sweet and fresh-flavored with fine, clear color.

Note the great saving in sugar. Also consider the advantages in preparing fruit sauces with a minimum of sugar for invalids and children.

Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Nov 14, 1932

From the Sheboygan Spirit: This hotel was built in the early 1890s and torn down in 1960.

What The Grand Hotel  served for Thanksgiving in 1946:

Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) Nov 27, 1946

Deep-Dish Cranberry Pie

3 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Boil the cranberries in the water until they “pop.” Add sugar and salt. Cool somewhat. Pour into a deep pie dish. Cover with a layer of plain pastry, fitting pastry firmly over edge of dish. (The pastry should be slashed to allow escape of steam.) Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes.

Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) May 1, 1936

Cold Water Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lard
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Cut lard into flour and salt until the crumbs are the size of dried peas. Add the water slowly, using just enough to make the dough hold together.

Roll on a floured board.

Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) May 1, 1936

Happy Thanksgiving!