Logan County IL Archives History - Books .....Hotels In Atlanta 1953
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 31, 2007, 12:36 am

Book Title: A History Of Atlanta

HOTELS IN ATLANTA

    The rapid early growth of Atlanta brought many persons to town who were
without means of private board and lodging, and the hotel business attracted
some of the early arrivals as promising lucrative returns. By June, 1856, three
hotels were listed in S. B. Duggers directory of Atlanta. Perhaps the first was
the Layton House on North Railroad street. Part of this place is still standing
and is the home of Mrs. Theodore Williams. John Layton was an uncle of Mrs.
Mattie Clay and Mrs. Ann Bowers, of Atlanta. In 1856, James M. Cantrall was
listed as the proprietor of this hotel.

    A hotel at the corner of Vine and Railroad streets, known as the Atlanta
House, was built in 1855, but was destroyed by fire in 1857. Later it was
rebuilt and for many years was one of Atlanta's leading hotels. Older citizens
will remember it under the nickname of "The Blue Goose."

    The Logan House was a four-story structure at the corner of Vine and Church
streets (now a vacant lot one block east of the Logan-Mason service station).
During the first days of Atlanta, Elza Dunagan built a two-story boarding house
on this site. In 1856, A. G. Colton purchased the property and added two stories
to the building. It was known as the Logan House for many years, but the name
was changed to the Grant House by Ed Newman, who was the proprietor for a long
time. It burned August 27, 1889. This hotel at one time was considered the best
in Atlanta, but at the time of its burning the building had become almost a
complete wreck.

    The Coleman House, under the management of David L. Coleman, was Atlanta's
leading hotel during the 1880's and into the early years of the twentieth
century. Located at the corner of Vine and Arch streets (now the site of the
Logan-Mason service station) the Coleman House was the scene of many social
events and gatherings, as well as being popular with the traveling public. With
changing conditions, the hotel business in Atlanta became less lucrative, and
owners succeeding the Colemans met with poor success. The property was finally
sold to Acme Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of Atlanta. The Lodge contemplated the
building of a three-story brick building, but the project did not materialize.
The Stemen building, just north of the site of the former hotel, is a part of
the old Coleman House.

    At the present time, Atlanta's only hotel is operated by Mrs. Helen Bates on
Railroad street.


THE OLD HOTEL

There's a house in town
  With a history; 
It's the old hotel
  By the cottonwood tree.

'Twas a famous place 
  In the long ago—
Jim Currence says,
  And he ought to know.

Who its builders were
  I quite forget; 
I know they're gone,
  And the inn's there yet.

A long flat building
  The roof slopes down;
Its boarded walls
  Are painted brown.

And at one corner
  If you notice well,
You can trace the name
  Of the old hotel.

Around the fireplace
  The boarders sat,
And passed the evenings
  In social chat.

But all these things
  Have passed away;
And the old hotel
  Has had its day.

Now this relic old
  You can daily see,
Still standing there
  By the cottonwood tree.

          — JAMES HART



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF ATLANTA 1853-1953

Prepared by Citizens of Atlanta
As a Part of the Observance of the
Centennial, June 11,12 and 13,1953

THE PUBLICATION IS SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA WOMAN'S CLUB

Atlanta, Illinois 1953

Published By
The Stewart - Pinks Publishing Co.
Atlanta, Illinois


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/logan/history/1953/ahistory/hotelsin56gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/

File size: 4.1 Kb