On Friday, April 14, 1912, wealthy Pennsylvanians George and Eleanor Widener hosted a celebratory dinner, in honor of Edward Smith, captain of the Titanic, who was scheduled to retire following the ship’s maiden voyage. It was later that evening that tragedy struck, costing the lives of some 1,500 people.
A Titanic dinner will be recreated on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Centre Cup Coffee in the Centre Market district of Wheeling. Judi Hendrickson and Jeanne Finstein have partnered with Centre Cup Coffee owner Theresa Childers to host this gala event. The dinner menu will feature items typical of the Widener dinner, and diners will assume the roles of many of the rich and famous … and not so well-known passengers … who were traveling on that ill-fated, “unsinkable” ship.
Among those on board were John Jacob Astor and his young bride, Madeleine, Margaret “Unsinkable Molly” Brown, White Star owner Bruce Ismay, ship designer Thomas Andrews, Benjamin Guggenheim and his mistress, Mrs. Aubart, and Mr. and Mrs. Isador Strauss. Fictionalized movies have nothing on their real stories.
Tickets costing $50 each are available at Centre Cup Coffee or by calling Childers at 304-233-0085 or 740-579-1541. Guests will be treated to dinner and before- and after-dinner presentations on Titanic stories. Reservations are required. Period attire is encouraged. Hors d’oeuvres will be served beginning at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
