The Parkway Inn – At the County Line
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“Fire destroyed the Parkway Inn popular night club on Veteran’s Memorial Parkway (US-23) early today. The loss was estimated by the owner at more than $75,000.”
-The Saginaw News, December 15, 1959.
At this point, the earliest advertisement we have found for the Parkway Inn appeared in The Saginaw News on December 5, 1941. Proclaiming it “Saginaw’s Newest Night Spot[,] under the management of Bob Posey and Russ Turner.” Located almost at the county line, Saginaw advertising promoted its proximity to Saginaw, while Bay City promotion noted that it was almost in Bay County--if they mentioned the location at all.
In Saginaw. few entertainment venues had such a close relationship with their location. Veteran’s Memorial Parkway--from which the restaurant took
its name--had been completed in the late 1920s. Its construction through the marshes dividing Saginaw and Bay City had, for the first time, provided a direct, shorter connection between Saginaw and Bay City on the east side of the river. Although the route was planned for convenience, it was designed to be scenic. Its visual appeal was augmented by a 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project that transformed a swath of the riverbank into a park. In November 1935, the road was rededicated as Veterans Memorial Parkway. The CCC’s work included the construction of a now-demolished log cabin pavilion. The Parkway Inn was located on the west side of the road across from the primary features of the park. Patrons of the Parkway Inn often took advantage of the park, and as evening moved in, they moved to the Inn. This article highlights one such example:
“Paul Cherry and Don F. Janczewski, who will leave with draftees Thursday, were complimented at a farewell wiener roast Tuesday evening on Saginaw River road by a group of friends. Dancing was enjoyed later at Parkway Inn.” (The Saginaw News, July 22, 1942.)
Newspaper articles suggest that the Parkway Inn was closed between 1943 and 1947. This closure may well have been a result of World War II. The obituary of Robert Posey, an owner of the Parkway Inn, notes, “After service in the army Robert built and ran the Parkway Inn for 22 years and bought the Sound Lounge for teens. He later joined his wife in the real estate business.” (The Saginaw News, November 14, 2001.)
Until it was destroyed by fire on December 15, 1959, the Parkway Inn thrived and was an important musical venue. We still have much more to explore about who performed at the Parkway Inn and the nearby Parkway Arena. We leave those stories to future posts; however, we will note performers at the Parkway Arena included Count Basie and his orchestra.
Three years after the Parkway Inn was destroyed by fire. Bob Posey opened a new Parkway Inn about a mile south of the original:
“Saginawian Robet C. Posey has opened what he describes as ‘the only night club of comparable size in the Saginaw area.’ The club is the Parkway Inn, between Saginaw and Bay City on Veterans’ Memorial Highway, formerly US-23.
The establishment replaces the former business of the same name which was destroyed by fire in 1959. Posey has been in business of a similar type for 22 years. Open nightly except Mondays. The Parkway Inn will feature EmCee singer Bill Brown, music by the Kenny Anderson Orchestra and a dance act each evening. Special acts will be presented on Friday and Saturday. Parking for 500 cars is provided and dancing will be on the largest floor in Mideastern Michigan. Outdoor dancing on the terrace will be offered in season.
Posey emphasizes the décor and interior appointments at his new place. Liveried waiters and complete service are featured.” (The Saginaw News, May 23, 1962.)
On May 24, 1965, The Saginaw News reported:
“The fire, smoke from which could be seen for miles, disrupted traffic for several hours and knocked out telephone and electrical service in the surrounding area. No one was hurt.”
The second Parkway Inn was destroyed in the fire. The Parkway Inn did not reopen.
The Recipe: Cabbage and Pineapple Salad
Alas, as we were not able to locate an actual recipe from the Parkway Inn, for inspiration we turned to an August 19, 1949 advertisement. The ad celebrates the opening of the Parkway Inn’s new Cedar room and offers that evening’s special: Lake Erie Perch, French Fries, Pineapple salad, Corn Muffins and Coffee for $1.00. Extra Perch were a .10 each.
As the CTK staff members were not in the mood for frying perch or making corn muffins, we fixed on the pineapple salad.
We were tempted--so tempted--to cheat and simply place a pineapple ring on a carefully molded scoop of cottage cheese. However, we wanted something more interesting.
After diligent research, we finally located a period-appropriate non-gelatin-based pineapple salad.* Our intriguing--perhaps too intriguing--inspiration came from the menu column of the July 25, 1951, Saginaw News:
“Luncheon: Cabbage and pineapple salad, sour cream dressing, whole wheat bread; butter or fortified margarine, custard with crushed fresh berries, tea, milk.”
While no specifics were given for composing the salad, a recipe was provided for the sour cream dressing:
“Sour Cream dressing is wonderful on crisp shredded cabbage or mixed green.
Sour Cream dressing
3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 cup sour cream, 1/4cup cider vinegar.
Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in sour cream. Add cider vinegar and mix well. Serve cold.” (The Saginaw News, July 25, 1951.)
CTK Interpretation:
While one might have expected a sweeter less savory-based version of sour cream dressing, we foraged ahead and used the one provided in the article.
1 20 oz can of pineapple tidbits packed in their own juice, drained
½ small head of cabbage coarsely chopped
About 1/3 cup of sour cream dressing - prepared in accordance with above recipe
Method:
Gently combine cut cabbage, pineapple and dressing. Chill and then place in serving bowl before serving. Dust lightly with paprika prior to serving, if desired.
CTK Notes:
This recipe was surprising--in a very pleasant way. Combining cabbage and pineapple was once much more common than one might expect. At various times this salad was included on Saginaw menus--we found it listed at Home Dairy and in the dining room at Tanner’s.
*For those who feel all 1950s salads should be a molded gelatin salad. We offer this alternate.