A look back at Thanksgiving 1915 in Modesto

A century ago, Modesto somewhat resembled the city of today, but there were also plenty of differences.

Like today, the world was in a state of tumult as World War I had engulfed Europe for over a year and had spread to the Middle East. While today Modesto’s shoppers can find their Thanksgiving goods at stores throughout the city, in the Modesto of 1915 one would only need a good pair of shoes to get to all the shops to pick up their goods. For those who didn’t want to cook, there were places to eat a prepared Thanksgiving dinner and entertainment options for the holiday.

After a year of fighting, World War I had slowed with the coming of winter. The Nov. 24, 1915, Modesto Evening News announced on its front page: “British Troops Repulsed by Turk Hordes.”

The Evening News added that a “vast British army is hurled back from ancient city of Bagdad.” The British retreated and in the spring the Turks captured that army. The United States, though not involved in the war at the time, was not inactive as American industrialist Henry Ford rented a ship to take to Europe in the belief that he could negotiate an end to the war. He didn’t. All he got for his efforts was influenza and an early trip home.

Shopping for Thanksgiving in Modesto in 1915 was a much easier affair since almost all the food shops in town were downtown.

The San Francisco Fruit Market at 1015 H St. promised “Everything for Your Thanksgiving Dinner” except the turkey. The owners of the Modesto Candy Kitchen and Fruit Store wrote in their ad that they had “Everything for Thanksgiving – Except the Turkey.” They had fruits, nuts and vegetables on hand. At the New-I-Dea Mercantile Co. on 10th Street, one could again pick up everything but the turkey. For the holiday fowl, residents could try Grider & Van Vlear’s City Market at 816 10th St.

Not only were stores competing for Thanksgiving Day business, but on the pages of the newspaper a battle was being waged on how to cook dinner. The Modesto Gas Co. mentioned in its ad that people should “Cook With Gas. Buy from a company that is owned-operated-and-controlled by the home people.” On another page the Sierra & San Francisco Power Co., obviously not “home people,” promoted “Cook by Wire: The Electric Way.” The ad also promised electricity was “cheaper than gas, wood or coal.”

Those who didn’t want to cook could go to the Modesto Grill at 844 10th St. or The Winter Garden at 916-918 10th St. The Winter Garden was offering a special Thanksgiving dinner with the usual roast turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. The Winter Garden also held a concert and dance – and that, along with the big meal, would set you back 50 cents (which also happened to be the cost of a monthly subscription to the Modesto Evening News).

There were no comics in the Evening News other than one that appeared above the Classified Page. “Charlie Chaplin’s Comic Capers” was a painfully unfunny comic that was already up to its second artist after the first fell from a fifth-story window in Chicago and died. It was soon put out of it and the public’s misery.

If the family became too much of a nuisance during the holiday, one could pop over to C.R. Week’s Cyclery at 921 10th St. because along with bikes they also rented shotguns. Those not wishing to resort to such drastic measures could take advantage of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s reduced rates for travel that Thursday to get the harried family member out of town. A family trip to the movie theater to see the serial “Diamond From the Sky” would have offered viewers “Chapter 24: The Mad Millionaire.” The serial had another six chapters to go before concluding and it has since disappeared from existence, classified as a lost film.

The Modesto of 100 years ago, as seen in copies of the Modesto Evening News of Thanksgiving week 1915, was more centrally located, with the city’s focus being on downtown and 10th Street in particular, and much cheaper. The Modesto of today is more dispersed and more expensive. Both cities live in a dangerous world but, like the Modesto of old, today’s in the long run will persevere.

Sources: Modesto Evening News, Nov. 22-24, 1915

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "A look back at Thanksgiving 1915 in Modesto."