Chariton's venerable Fire Department banquet

So here are the particulars for this year's version of Chariton's annual Firemen's Banquet, surely one of the most venerable events of its type in the south of Iowa. As you can see, serving at Carpenters Hall will be from 4:30 until 7 p.m. Saturday; the cost, a very reasonable $10 with oysters available as an add-on.

And at left, from the Lucas County Historical Society collection, is an invitation to the first anniversary banquet, held on Dec. 4, 1878, at Mallory's Opera Hall. 

The department was organized formally on Dec. 7, 1877, in the aftermath of a fire on Oct. 29, 1877, that destroyed the first of three big buildings to stand on what we now call the Columbus School hill. Without proper organization and equipment, the residents of Chariton could do little more than stand by and watch as a source of great community pride was gutted by flames. Organization of the department filled that major hole in Chariton's defenses.

For many years, the banquet coincided more or less with the early December anniversary, but has advanced by now into November.

Files of Chariton newspapers for November and December of 1878 have been lost, so there's no telling what the menu or the price of admission for that banquet was.

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But here, from 80 years ago, is The Chariton Leader's promotional story for that year's banquet, published on Nov. 30. So we know what was on the menu --- and how much it cost: 75 cents a head.

That big Thanksgiving dinner was just a preliminary. The main bout is coming up Thursday at the Methodist church when the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department serves its 66th annual banquet to all comers.

Mrs. James Baker, who heads the staff of chefs and cooks in charge of preparations for the meal, checked over her grocery list this morning.

It included 250 chickens. The second item on the list was: Oysters --- 19 gallons."

And here are some of the others: Eight bushels of Irish potatoes, four bushels of sweet potatoes, 48 pounds of cranberries, 100 pounds of cabbage, 40 pounds of crackers, 100 pounds of sugar, 65 pounds of butter, 30 gallons of milk, 30 pounds of coffee, eight gallons of cream plus ...

... 30 gallons of ice cream.

For the city's elderly people, the banquet will begin at 4:30 p.m. The price is 75 cents.

A dance at the American Legion home will follow the banquet.