New Year’s Eve at the Patterson

Sunday, December 31, 2006

It’s New Year’s Eve, and everyone is preparing to usher in the New Year. Today, most people probably celebrate at a friend’s party or a local bar, but for those in the early 1920s, the place to be was the Patterson Hotel in Bismarck.

The Patterson was considered the finest hotel between Minneapolis and Seattle, and each year, owner Ed Patterson made sure the hotel celebrated in class. A live orchestra and dancing was a must, and guests dined on such gourmet dishes as Kennebec salmon, Parisian potatoes, roast squab aux Greson, French pastries, bonbons, cheeses, and much more—all at just one party! The only thing missing was champagne. It was prohibition. Instead, the guests toasted the New Year with frozen punch.

By Tessa Sandstrom

Source:
Patterson Hotel records, 1898-1943: MSS 10144. State Archives Manuscript Collection.