This 1954 menu shows little chefs serving drinks or carrying trays and was the front cover of a menu from the Columbia Hotel in Wenatchee, Washington, sometimes called the Apple Capital of the World thanks to the valley’s many orchards.

The Columbia Hotel was first built in 1908 as the Chewawa, the first modern hotel in Wenatchee, and housed The Golden Rule Store, the eighth store in the J C Penney chain. After remodeling and a third floor was added, it was renamed the Elman Hotel. After more remodeling, the hotel on S Wenatchee Avenue was called the Columbia Hotel. In its prime it was a fancy joint, with a Kiltie Room for dining and dancing. The hotel burned down in 1988 and the location became Centennial Park.

Situated in a fertile valley in Central Washington at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers, Wenatchee is the second most populous city in the central part of the state and serves as the Chelan County seat. To the south and west, mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for the City.

For thousands of years before Euro-American settlement, the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples who lived on the land. The Wenatchi were a nomadic culture and were closely bound to nature. They subsisted on salmon, roots, berries and nuts and interacted with other tribes. In the 1890s, the Wenatchee Valley’s arid climate, rich volcanic soil, and proximity to the Columbia and Wenatchee Rivers proved to be an excellent combination for agricultural success. Within 25 years, Wenatchee became the center of the greatest apple-producing region in the world and still produces world-class apples today.