Program to feature railroad dining table service collector

The Smithville Community Historical Society will hold a special meeting of the membership on Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. in order to review and vote on the revisions and updates made to the society’s constitution.

The program, “Dining on the Rails, in Style,” presented by Doug Spence, will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature some of his collection of railroad dining table services, which he has been collecting since 1973, including pieces of dining service from the B & O Railroad.

In 1868 the Pullman Company, builder of railroad cars, unveiled the “Delmonico,” a plush dining car named for the famous New York City restaurant.

Other railroads including Erie, Nickle Plate, Pennsylvania, Norfolk and Western, Wabash, Santa Fe, Wheeling & Lake Erie, and the Great Northern were just a few to add dining cars to their rail lines to increase passenger usage.

The Syracuse China Company was one of the manufacturers of the china used on the railroads. Many of the patterns used on the china were actually the logo for the railroads such as the Chessie Cat used by the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad or the mountain goat used by the Great Northern Railroad in their logo.

Some unusual pieces of china were created for railroad use. One was the dolphin-shaped coffee cup with its sides shaped to prevent coffee from being spilled while traveling on the rail lines. All dishes were smaller than standard, due to the lack of table space.

To further standardize the service, restaurateur Fred Harvey was contacted by the Santa Fe Railroad to provide service with style on the rail line. This service was made popular by the Harvey Girls and reached as far east as Cleveland at the Terminal Tower.

The public is welcome to attend the 7 p.m. program at the historic Church of God on Milton Street in Smithville.

Lila Smucker and Kathy Meitzler will serve as hostesses.