Hist. Article  - McClimons Hotel and Barn, Hopkins Co. TX

Submitted by June E. Tuck

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From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or
dispute any historical facts in the article.

Sharing with others to learn of Hopkins County and its people.

 

The Passing Of Old Barn Back of McClimons Hotel

Printed in the Paris Morning News and reprinted in the Sulphur Springs
Gazette

Arthur - unknown

The Paris Morning News carries the following splendid, well written story
of the old barn back of the McClimons Hotel on Adkins Street

With the razing of the McClimons hotel barn, there passes one of Sulphur
Springs^Ò old landmarks. The hotel was built in 1885 by J. H. McClimons,
and this barn was built to house the feed and horses and old McClimons
house cab that met all the trains. When the Cotton Belt railway was first
built in 1888 it brought a flush of business to all the hotels here which
included the McClimons, the Sulphur Springs Coffey hotel, The Garrison
Hotel, and Glasscock hotel, that was famous in many states as a resort
because of its mineral water springs and bath houses. The bath house was
a two story affair across the street with two rows of houses upstairs and
down. Water was piped from the tank on the roof, the tank filled by a
Negro, operating a hand pump. This hotel stood on corner of Main and
Magnolia streets and was famous for its parties.

The old Coffey hotel, on the south side of the square over the Max Yesner
saloon, entertained many stock companies which appeared in Main Street
opera house. The Garrison hotel was located where the Commercial hotel
now stands and catered to general and local trade. The McClimons hotel,
operated by its builder, received the bulk of transient trade. It also
housed those of the theatrical companies that played in Sulphur Springs,
among them one which starred the romantic couple, Albert Taylor and the
black-eyed, dashing Gertrude Ewing, who became fast friends of the elder
McClimons, on their many trips to the South, though Mr. McClimons was a
staunch Methodist and thoroughly disapproved of wining and dancing and
would have no ball room in his hotel.

The original house was built in an "L" shape facing the south, the cool
veranda running across the front. Later the west wing was added. Mr.
McClimons had many friends among the clergy, two of them, Sam Jones and
Mr. Mulkey, old time evangelists who always stayed with him when in town.
Others among his later friends were Senators Tom Connally and Eugene
Black, and many heated political and doctrinal arguments took place on
this long front porch.

The McClimons hotel is the only one of the four original hotels still
doing business. Its old registers, unfortunately destroyed, held the
names of many celebrities of the gay nineties who often came back for
visits. Although some these people have grown famous since their first
visits, and others were celebrities at that time, many of them sometimes
or another are drawn back by the hospitality and pleasant associations of
the old place.