Echoes From The Attic and Poems, LANDMARK HOTEL, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Don Johnson, Feb. 2001 Typed by Belford Carver Written by by Edna F. Campbell Copyrighted by Edna F. Campbell With special thanks to her family for permission to use her works. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ FROM "OAKS" TO "BERRIES" LANDMARK HOTEL STIRS HISTORICAL MEMORIES "Tis like stirring living embers, when at Eighty one Remembers.!" The familiar quotation is a borrowed one from "The Battle of Bunker Hill," but is used paradoxically to express sentiments of the past glories of the town's first hotel, and its successor, the Casa de Fresa, that closed its doors Saturday The imposing Casa de Fresa Hotel, that for almost half a century was known as The Oaks Hotel, has closed. The owner, Malcolm B. Wright, Jr., made the public announcement Friday The historical background of the first Hammond hotel, located on the same spot as the present day Casa de Fresa, is colorful and interesting as it plunges back to the year 1893 when Colonel H. W. Robinson and Mrs. Robinson came to Hammond from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to promote the city's first travelers wayside-inn. The Robinsons and their 9 year old son, Joseph, lived in the home of Mrs. Harriett Mooney while the construction was progressing. Mr. Benjamin S. Gallup, brother-in-law of Col. Robinson, was the architect. Mr. Bill DeWhurst, the plumbing contractor and Coleman Johns the plumber. In setting of towering oak trees, the stately three-story frame building was the show place of the area. A catastrophe struck in 1905 when the hotel building was destroyed by fire. This however, did not deter Colonel Robinson, for he proceeded at once to build a bigger and better structure, designed along the same lines of architecture. To mark the opening of the newly built edifice a glamorous reception was held, with many out-of-town guests present. The "Oaks" was known far and wide and was rated the best hotel from New Orleans to Memphis. High-ranking Illinois Central Railroad officials used the place exclusively as their overnight stops for business trips. Wealthy people came from the north and the east to spend parts of the winter months at the famous resort lodging place. The genial proprietors known by all as Colonel and Madame Robinson, entertained royally for their guests, and the hotel became famous as a social cent4er for select invitational groups. Madame Robinson held teas and card parties for the ladies, and orchestras were imported from New Orleans to provide music for periodic dances. Pretentious were the formal winter balls, presenting the "Maids and Matrons," and "Bachelors and Benedicts." Fancy dress dances help both at the hotel and Perry Hall were the social highlights of the seasons. Recalled by some are the names of a number of persons who were associated with the formal fetes held at the hotel including Mmes. Jim Mumonville, A. F. Gates, H. W. Robinsons (and family), E. P. Dinkman, F. W. Reimers, O. C. Pantall Fred Pantall, Russell Gulley, W. H. Brent, James Fourmy. E. P. Dameron, F. Ritchie Neelis, L. M. Channell, Ed richardson, F. Pearch, E. Spencer, W. H. Carter, John burgess, Dick Beasley, and the Misses Veva Barber, Margaret Wilcombe, Lucille Wilcombe, and Neelis. The hotel grew in fame and prosperity with celebrities coming from all sections of the country as guests. Among these were important personalities visiting the home of John Morris at the Morris Retreat, now the Zemurray Lodge. Picnics were held on the Robinson's farmsite, which is now where "Lazy Lodge" is located and occupied by one of the granddaughters of the early hotel proprietors, Mrs. Allen Thames, the former Miss Mary Harriet Blomeyer. Outstanding in the social events held at the hotel dining room, was the reception and champagne party held following the wedding of Mr. Joseph Robinson and Miss Margaret Brooks, in 1909. The wedding was solemnized at Grace memorial Episcopal Church. Mrs. Robinson (now Mrs. M. R. Sherman) resides in the old Robinson family residence, 103 North Pine Street. During the influenza epidemic in 1918, Col. Robinson, a victim, died. Madame Robinson, assisted by her sons, Joseph and John (both now deceased), carried on the hotel management. John was married to Miss Evelyn Neelis, who is now deceased. Misfortune dealt another blow in 1929 when fire gutted the hotel building. The framework was salvaged. A complete renovation and face lifting transformed the edifice into a place of grandeur. The Robinsons had sold the property to new owners, with Malcolm B. Wright, as vice-president and Ted Carfiel, a native of Exlaivns, France, as manager. The name was Strawberry and Vegetable Auction, Inc. Mrs. Susie Smythe was then assistant manager. Miss Marie Wolters, a capable and efficient employee has served in the office in management for many years. The firm decided it was time to change the name of the landmark hotel, so an exhilarating contest was staged to find a meaningful and attractive name for the completely restyled inn. Among the 300 entries, Mrs. Maria Mhoon, who had come in from Central America the preceding November to Hammond, submitted, "Casa de Fresa." The title was the equivalent in Spanish for The House of Strawberries, thus winning the nod of the contest judges. The newly-named hotel assumed new glamour with its colorful name, and added furnishings and decorations. The popular rendezous attracted tourists and traveling businessmen for the succeeding years. In the strawberry season, the salesmen and their families used the Casa de Fresa Hotel as regular headquarters. In 1945 the Western Union Telegraph Company set up a permanent office in the hotel building with Mrs. Gordon D. Whitley as the manager. The hotel continued to be the mecca for strawberry salesmen and those persons connected with the seasonal crop. (Pic of hotel at the end) FINDS FACTS STRANGER THAN FICTION "Facts are truly stranger than fiction," said Mrs. Maria H. Mhoon as she completed her duties Saturday, serving as a commissioner at the election polls, at the Casa de Fresa Hotel precinct. Mrs. Mhoon gave the hotel its present name. "It is ironical that I was present here for the grand opening party in 1930 when the hotel began under its new regime of the Strawberry and Vegetable Auction, and fate sent me back here on the day of the hotel's closing. It left me with a feeling of nostalgia." In response as to shy she had come to Hammond from her home in Honduras, she said, "I stopped over here to visit friends, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Weinrich, former Honduras neighbors, while enroute to assume a position with Metro Goldyn Mayer, in California." Mrs. Mhoon's husband was in Brazil on a road building project in line with his work, and she had been told to come to the United States to establish residency in order to be hired by the motion picture firm. The illness of Mrs. Weinrich, and an invitation to come to see her hastened the trip here. However, her husband persuaded her not to go to California. This accounted for Mrs. Mhoon's being far away from her home. She became involved with the hotel when she was the lucky winner in the contest seeking a new name. Mrs. Mhoon's entry, "Casa de Fresa" meaning in Spanish, "The House of Strawberries," captured the first prize of five- dollars. Three hundred entries were in the competition. She attended the celebration held at the hotel dining room. During the years of 1935-36, she was manager of the dining room, and the place has held a warm spot in her heart since that time., (From ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC AND POEMS, by Edna F. Cambell, n.d.) (See also Part III "Is a Hotel by any Other Name" and Part VII "Old Beauty Unknown Future)