Vigo County Historical Society

1933: Terre Haute’s economy bolstered by new industry

The year 1933 found Terre Haute looking to the future with optimism. Struggling to recover from the Stock Market crash of 1929, the city, as well as the country, was beginning to recover from the Great Depression.

Even though the depression would not end until 1941 with our entrance into World War II, Terre Haute’s economy was being bolstered by new industry.

The Prosperity Dinner took place Monday evening, Dec. 4, 1933, in the Terre Haute House. An invitation to the affair stated the "Messrs. Pick, Wenzel and Ellis, operators of the Terre House, invite you to attend a complimentary dinner. The object of this function is to celebrate the return of prosperity to Terre Haute and to meet the officers of its three new industries: Commercial Solvents Corporation, Merchants Distilling Corporation, Terre Haute Brewing Company."

It is interesting to note that the opening of two of the three new businesses coincided with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which repealed Prohibition.

The evening affair began at 5:30 p.m. with "assorted Hors D’oeuvres, Tid Bits and Refreshments" followed by a gourmet dinner and "cigars and cigarettes." Toastmaster for the evening was the Honorable John T. Beasley, president of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce. The evening concluded with "Orchestra and Entertainment."

A full page of pictures from the Dec. 17, 1933, Tribune Rotogravure shows a large gathering of gentlemen and several pictures of the evening’s entertainment, which was billed as Chicago artists who "added to the gaiety of the occasion by a smart and colorful floor show, and gave the Prosperity Dinner, a blithe and lilting note."

The newspaper summarized the whole affair as a group of "chivalrous and gallant friends of Miss Terre Haute gathered to celebrate the return of prosperity her, manifested by the announcement of three large industries."

Albert Pick and his hotel associates conceived the celebration and were the hosts for the evening.

The Historical Treasure and the Roto pictures were found in one of several scrapbooks kept by Harry E. Fitch, who for many years was a member of the Terre Haute Board of Aviation Commissioners and an active member of the Terre Haute community.