The Palace Hotel 1887

Westward Expansion Ball

The setting for the 2009 ball will be The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California between the years 1849 and 1895. All of our balls are costume balls, therefore, all guests should wear period costume appropriate to a ball taking place during this time.

Who is invited?

The Guest list is limited to all students currently enrolled in the World View

Classes, alumni of the Classes and Parents are also welcome, but remember the

costume!

The Assignment:

Each student that is currently enrolled in the classes is required to research

and recreate a historical character that actually lived during this time period

and could have possibly attended one of these balls. The character must be between

the ages of 15 and 90. Therefore, the character would have to be born between

1759 and 1880. All students will research and write a one-page biography

of their character.

Alumni and Parents attending the Ball are asked to conform to the guidelines

of the characters, but they do not have to turn in any biographies.

Time and Place:

The Ball will be at McKinney Fellowship Bible Church in McKinney, located at 2801

Orchid Dr., McKinney, TX 75070.

The evening will consist of dinner and period dancing.

A History of The Palace Hotel in San Francisco

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The Palace Hotel, built in 1875, envisioned by William Chapman Ralston and William Sharon, was reputedly the largest, most luxurious and costly hotel in the world. The Palace Hotel was designed as the American counterpart to the grand hotels of Europe. On October 2, 1875, the Palace Hotel officially opened to capture the hearts of the American public.

Originally built by architect John P. Gaynor, the majestic building hailed 7,000 windows, 14-foot high ceilings and an unprecedented opulence. Today's Garden Court was conceived of as the hotel's carriage entrance - a gateway to the splendors and remarkable innovations within. The hydraulic elevators - an engineering marvel for the time - were dubbed "rising rooms." In each of the lavish guest rooms, an electronic call button allowed guests to "ring" for anything they desired and air conditioning was a standard feature.

The Palace Hotel quickly gained prominence among the traveling elite. Famed tenor Enrico Caruso was a guest at the hotel on April 18, 1906 when a devastating earthquake hit. While the hotel survived the quake structurally, it was decimated in the ensuing fire that swept most of the downtown. It took three years of rebuilding under the supervision of New York firm, Trowbridge & Livingston, before the Palace Hotel would re-open in 1909. It was for this second opening that the artist Maxfield Parrish was commissioned to paint the 16-foot mural "The Pied Piper of Hamlin" that is being displayed to this day in the Pied Piper Bar.

Resuming its place among elite society, the new Palace Hotel attracted dignitaries, business moguls and celebrities alike. Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Grant Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Morgan, and Oscar Wilde were guests. Actress Sandra Bernhard caused a stir when she arrived with her pet baby tiger. Leaving its mark on the 20th Century, the hotel hosted President Woodrow Wilson in support of the Versailles Treaty and in 1945, catered the banquet honoring the opening session of the United Nations.

After 80 years of exceptional hospitality, the hotel was closed for a complete renovation. The Palace Hotel re-opened to its restored grandeur in 1991.

Types of Costumes |image2|

Costumes must be appropriate to wear to a ball. There is a broad geographical area to choose from beginning with the East Coast, across the frontier, and all the way to the West Coast. Even if your character is a frontiersman or a cowboy, he must dress appropriately for a ball during this time period.