New Year’s Eve 1916

[“1917, in on Tiptoes, Keeps the Sabbath. Hardly a Horn to Herald Glad New Year’s Arrival in the Great Cabaret Belt. Few Out to Celebrate. Upper Broadway Mostly Dark and Deserted — Churches Get the Best Crowds.” The New York Times, January 1, 1917.]

December 31, 1916, was a Sunday. John P. Mitchel, New York City’s mayor (and party pooper), refused to grant the permits that would have allowed establishments to remain open past one o’clock. So for many hotels and restaurants, the night of January 1, 1917, became New Year’s Eve. How did those establishments fare? Tune in next year to find out.