Thanksgivings Past - The Hotel Vincent
- kellison71
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
“Many Saginawians took advantage of the fine menus offered by the Bancroft House and Hotel Vincent to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinners at these popular hostelries. The Bancroft served at 1 o’clock and the Vincent at 6 and at both most elaborate menus had been prepared. Very artistic Souvenir menu cards were given the guests at each hotel.”
-The Saginaw Evening News, December 2, 1905.
Although the idea of going to a restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving may seem like a comparatively modern concept, it is not. In the early twentieth century, several Saginaw venues offered special meals. One of these was the Hotel Vincent. Located at the southeast corner of Federal – then German – and South Washington Avenues, the corner of the five-story hostelry was capped by a distinctive tower.
A project of members of Saginaw’s Hill family, the paper records, Clarence M. Hill, and his brother-in-law, James E. Vincent. The announcement of the project described the future hotel:
“when completed will be one of the most thoroughly equipped hotels in the State. It will contain 120 rooms, the office occupying the corner of the avenue and street mentioned, while electric light, steam heaters, elevators, etc., give it all the conveniences that modern hotels now demand. As each year witnesses many conventions held in our city, the coming one being especially prolific in that respect, it be especially appreciated and a matter of congratulation to all interested in the welfare of consolidated Saginaw.” (The Saginaw Evening News, November 11, 1889.)
The pre-opening name of the hostelry was the Hill and Vincent Hotel; however, by the time it opened, the name had been shortened to Hotel Vincent. The building, immediately to its south, housed the office of another member of the Hill family, Arthur Hill. The architect for the building was W.T. Cooper, the Saginaw architect--known for the Saginaw Club, Bearinger Building, Saginaw City Hall and much more.
When the Hotel Vincent opened on January 12, 1891, the Evening News prophesied the “well filled register indicates the prosperity the house is bound to enjoy.” Newspaper articles indicate the hotel indeed prospered and successfully competed with the well-established Bancroft House. It was a site of numerous events and conferences. Even hosting a former president – very briefly. On October 8, 1912, former President--and presidential candidate--Theodore Roosevelt stopped at the Hotel Vincent between his arrival at the train station and an address at the Saginaw Auditorium:
“In the neighborhood of 10,000 people flocked to the Auditorium last night to hear Col. Theodore Roosevelt. About 6,000 of them succeeded in jamming their way into the great building, which was packed from stage and pit to roof with the greatest crowd it has ever held. The other thousands who were unable to get in filled Washington avenue, tieing up street car traffic, and had to be content with a brief glimpse of the former president from the Vincent Hotel balcony, where he appeared at 7 o’clock and spoke for a few minutes.” (The Saginaw Daily News, October 9, 1912.)
However, with the dedication of the new Bancroft Hotel in 1916, the Hotel Vincent had stiff competition, and a building that seemed modern a generation earlier now seemed like a relic from another age. By the early 1920s, the hotel had closed--In 1920, Gately’s was advertising used oak beds from the hotel. The first floor was used by various businesses, and redevelopment ideas were proposed.
The Hotel Vincent had been sold to David W. Rust of Detroit and around 1920 it was sold to C.K. Eddy & Sons. In 1929, it was demolished to make way for a proposed 14-story hotel. Although the new hotel was never constructed, a smaller commercial structure was constructed on the site and today it is the location of SVSU’s Riverfront campus.
The Recipe: Mrs. C.M. Hill’s Gingerbread
Lacking a recipe from the Hotel Vincent Dining Room – let alone one served at one of the hotel’s Thanksgiving dinners, we selected one of Mrs. C.M. Hill’s recipes – Susie Richardson Hill* was a member of the family of the original developers of the Hotel Vincent.
Although we doubt this gingerbread recipe was ever served at the hotel, it certainly is something that should have been.
“One-half cup brown sugar, ½ cup molasses, 1 ½ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ cup butter, ½ teaspoon baking soda in sour milk or cream, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger; beat in soda last.”
-Mrs. C.M. Hill, The Saginaw Cookbook, 1929 edition.
CTK Interpretation of Mrs. C.M. Hill’s Gingerbread
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup molasses
1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sour milk (Made by adding 1 cup of whole milk to 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir and let sit for a few minutes.)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line 8” round cake pan with parchment and grease and dust with flour.
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add molasses and beat until combined.
In separate bowl, whisk together: flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
Combine sour milk and baking soda and stir. Retain for last step.
Slowly beat dry ingredients into butter, sugar, and molasses mixture. When combined, slowly beat in sour milk mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour, until knife or skewer comes out clean.
CTK Notes:
As there were several gaps in the original recipe – the amount of sour milk, size of pan and cooking times, we did some online research and concocted this interpretation. Although we can’t promise that it is completely accurate and reliable, we were quite satisfied with the results.
It seemed like a perfect post-Thanksgiving treat and the delicate flavoring of spices hint at the flavors of the holiday yet to come. Also, it reminded us of the descriptions of the C.M. Hill family’s Christmas celebrations at their home at 523 South Jefferson Avenue, shared with us by Susie Hill’s grandson.
*This link will take you to more information about Susie Ricahrdson Hill: