Happy Fall! As we are starting to experience the first frosts of the season, we thought it would be a perfect time to feature some autumn-themed dining car menus from various railroads. Accompanying the menus, we are featuring a Union Pacific baked Hubbard squash recipe.
Figure 1 Union Pacific dining car menu displaying fall foliage in front of Mt. Hood, Oregon.
Autumn is one of the prettiest times of year as trees turn brilliant shades of red, gold, and yellow. In Colorado especially, we see mountain ranges light up with these vivid colors from aspen trees. Railroads capitalized on the tourism generated during this especially scenic time of year, and that is demonstrated in the dining car menus. One example of this is a menu from Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF). The cover on this menu features art depicting a grove of aspen trees with a mountain background lit up in an autumnal glow (See figure 2). The back of the menu details the scene:
“The aspen is one of the most graceful trees in the Southwest and thrives in the upper mountain areas. When the first warmth of summer penetrates the mountains, the aspen presents a tender green leaf that turns greener in the summer. With the first chill of autumn, the leaves lose their green and turn a golden yellow and brown.”
Figure 2 Cover of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) dining car menu featuring “Autumn Aspens” by Freemont (sic) Ellis, 1962.
Another example of a menu featuring a gorgeous mountain scene with brilliant aspens lining the mountains is a Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) menu featuring the Maroon Bells in Colorado (see figure 3). The back of the menu gives a description of the Maroon Bells—Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak that together form the Maroon Bells. The menu also notes the beauty of fall by stating:
“Though beautiful in any season, the riotous colors of frost-turned Aspen leaves add splashes of brilliance among the deep tones of evergreens…”
Figure 3 Denver & Rio Grande Western dining car menu featuring the Maroon Bells in autumn, 1950.
In addition to the fall art that was featured on dining car menus during autumn, the menus sometimes featured poems to accompany works of art, such as one titled “When the Frost is on the Punkin” by James Whitcomb Riley (figure 4). Another fun art piece for a Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) is a painting of Jack Frost carefully painting autumn leaves with frost and the text noting how he has to paint each leaf by hand and make them pretty enough to be “worth putting in a scrap book” (see figure 5).
Figure 4 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) dining car menu featuring the poem “When Frost is on the Punkin.”
Figure 5 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) dining car menu featuring “Jack Frost,” 1948. Colorado Railroad Museum collection.
Before we share the recipe, let’s discuss squash. Squashes are native to Central and South America and had been cultivated by Indigenous groups for 9,000 years. Squash was grown alongside beans and corn, and the trio became known as the three sisters. Grown together, the combination nourished and supported each other. Going beyond physical convenience, the three sisters were a significant cultural and spiritual element for many Native nations, particularly in the northeastern United States.
Figure 6 Drawing of the “three sisters.”
When European settlers arrived, they sent different varieties back to be planted, and it became available worldwide. As with the origin of many food items, it is difficult to trace exactly. The Hubbard variety was said to originate from a seedsman who lived in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He named it for the first person to promote the squash, Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard. Hubbard squash is a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin for how it tastes.
Figure 7 Hubbard squash seeds.
We hope you enjoyed the brief look at the Colorado Railroad Museum’s autumn dining car menus, and the history of a staple autumn vegetable. If you try Baked Hubbard Squash, please be sure to let us know in the comments below, or on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
Union Pacific Dining Car Cook Book: Baked Hubbard Squash
Wash carefully, trim and shape into pieces about 4 x 3 inches. Remove all seeds. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and melted butter. Place in a baking pan with a small amount of cold water poured around the bottom of the squash. Bake in a medium oven until lightly browned and soft. Dress with melted butter. Portion, a la Carte and Table d’Hote—1/2 lb.
Figure 8 Union Pacific Dining Car Cook Book and Service Instructions, Colorado Railroad Museum collection.
Figure 9 Chicago, Quincy & Burlington (CB&Q) dining car menu featuring Hubbard squash baked in butter, 1941 Colorado Railroad Museum collection.
