Chilli, served in shacks and parlors, warmed miners on chilly days in old Webb City

When our temperatures plummet below freezing, as they about to do, we yearn for warm comfort foods to soothe us. A good bowl of hot chili is an old fashioned dish that we, as well as our forebears, turned to for a nourishing wintertime meal.

Like all towns, old Webb City had a wide variety of eating establishments. The offered fare ranged from steak and oysters served in the elegant downtown hotel dining rooms to a simple bowl of chili, with a slice of pie, served in a tiny wooden shack. Chili was an easy-to-prepare, inexpensive menu staple that restaurateurs could regularly prepare and keep on hand. Our photos of two early Webb City chili parlors illustrate the long history and popularity of chili; that simple, universal dish.

The circa 1900 photo of a simple chili parlor was marked “photo from the Webb City mining camp area.” Evidently, the purpose of the business was to offer a quick and inexpensive meal to the local miners. The three people are unidentified, as is the exact location of the building. The restaurant’s windows advertise only “Chilli and Pie” and “Candies and Nuts.” Photo courtesy of Kathy Sidenstricker.

Yates Chili Parlor, a later and more well-appointed eating spot than the early chili shack, was located at 209 Allen Street (Main Street), Webb City. Proprietors were B.H. and Sallie Yates. We believe the child in this photo is their daughter Daisy. Note the wall calendar date, March 1909. Photo courtesy of Kathy Sidenstricker.