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“Monday, July 29th.
“We have been in Crookston, Minn., all day, where we were the first and especially favored guests of this fine new hotel [Hotel Crookston]. ‘Mark Twain’s’ name was the first on the register. We are enjoying it. ‘Mark’ is as gay as a lark, but he remained in bed until time to go to the Opera House. This city is wonderfully improved since I was here in 1883 with Mr. Beecher, in 1885 with Clara Louise Kellogg, and in 1887 with Charles Dickens, Jr. The opening of this hotel is a great event. People are filling up the town from all directions to see and hear ‘Mark,’ and taking advantage of the occasion to see the
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first new hotel (The Crookston) in their city with hot and cold water, electric lights and all modern improvements.”
Source:
Eccentricities of Genius
Memories of Famous Men and Women of the Platform and Stage
Major J. B. Pond
G. W. Dillingham Company, New York, 1900
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CROOKSTON’S NEW HOTEL.
Notable Gathering Witnessed Its Formal Opening.
CROOKSTON, Minn., July 31. – The formal opening of the Hotel Crookston occurred tonight. Guests of note from abroad were present, including Gov. Clough and staff with their ladies and other Twin City guests in numbers sufficient to fill two sleepers. A large party was over from Fargo and Moorhead and the neighboring cities and villages added their quota to the number who were present from Crookston.
The hotel itself is a brick structure, three stories and a basement, with all the modern improvements. It has been built by Crookston business men and every dollar of stock was taken in the city. The plans were drawn by Orff & Jarolamen, of Minneapolis, and they include the proposition that every one of the sixty sleeping rooms shall be an outside room. They are all en suite and each provided with bath. The office is directly behind the entrance and is a model of convenience and elegance. The finish is all hard wood and the fixtures massive and finely carved. The bar is the finest in Northern Minnesota. The first floor is tiled in the public rooms. The dining room has a hard wood floor with Wilton carpets in the aisles. An elegant ladies’ waiting room, conversation, smoking and writing rooms are conveniently located on the first floor. The basement will contain a barber shop and sample rooms as well as a heating and light plant. The grass plot, twelve feet wide on either side, will contain a fountain.
The total cost of the building is $40,000. It has been leased to John A. Baker, a prominent hotel manager, formerly from Indianapolis, later from the Grand Pacific, Moorhead. He has furnished it beautifully throughout, and it is at once an ornament and a credit to the city.
Source:
The Saint Paul Daily Globe
Thursday Morning, August 1, 1895
Volume XVIII, Number 213, Page 1
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IT’S OPEN.
The Swellest Society Event in the Annals of the City.
LAST NIGHT’S FUNCTION
Was the Happy Culmination of a Highly Successful Social Effort.
From Thursday’s Daily.
It is accomplished. The desire of our citizens has been realized. The effort of the public spirited people of Crookston has come to fruition. The need of the years has been met. At last Crookston has a public house which is a credit to the city, a convenience to the public, a home for the wayfaring man which is complete in all its appointments, a source of pride to her people, and which will be profitable to those who have invested money to carry the project to a successful conclusion.
The celebration last night of the opening of this house to the public was, as THE TIMES predicted it would be, an event surpassing in the brilliancy of its social features and exceeding in the completeness of detail any previous social function in the history of Crookston. The exercises which characterized the event began at 8:30 p.m. At this hour the state’s chief magistrate, Gov. Clough, descended the staircase followed by his complete military staff, arrayed in full uniform and accompanied by the ladies of the party richly dressed and gaily bedecked, and formed a semi-circle in the lobby. The invited guests were present, of course, and the space was rapidly filled with the citizens to whom through the columns of THE TIMES, a special invitation had been extended by Manager Baker to be present and enjoy this feature of the exercises. Every foot of available space in the lobby, corridors, waiting rooms and on the stair case was occupied when Hon. John R. McKinnon called for silence, and in a few well chosen words commended the pluck and enterprise of the citizens who by their earnest and untiring effects had made the brilliant occasion possible and expressed his pride in the public spirit which had been manifested in carrying the project to a successful conclusion. He closed by introducing Governor Clough who mounted a chair and immediately placed himself on a good footing with his hearers, explaining his action by asserting his desire to look each one in the face and not to elevate himself above them. The Governor expressed his delight with the beautiful building, the substantial evidences of prosperity which he noted throughout the city in the buildings and improvements of a public nature. He commended the people and pledged his effort as chief magistrate to favor any public matter which would advance the interests of the city and vicinity. He closed by giving a cordial invitation to each person present, or to arrive, to meet himself and the members of this staff as well as the ladies of the party. The invitation was heartily accepted and for an hour the tide of humanity poured in and filed past the city’s guests to each one of whom the members of the party were presented. Mean-while Hall’s orchestra which were stationed in a recess discoursed their inspiring music. This ceremony over the doors were thrown open to the dining room which had been tastefully draped and converted into a dancing hall, and the grand promenade began. The leading couples being Governor Clough and Miss Matie Brown, Chas. B. March and Mrs. J. A. Baker and Frank Gravel and Mrs. E. W. Wile and followed in order by the ranking members of his staff and the other guests. After the grand march the regular program of dances was begun.
The supper was served in the bright cheerful rooms in the basement and was a triumph of culinary skill, reflecting great credit upon the ability of Mr. Baker’s new chef, Mr. Schlesser. Following is the
MENU.
Bouillon in Cups
Olives, Salted Almonds
Soft Shell Crabs, Sauce Tartare
Julienne Potatoes
Tenderloin of Beef, Larded
Mushrooms, Croquetus of Potato
Sweetbreads, glace, French Peas
Roman Punch
Roast Golden Plover on Toast
Lettuce
Chicken Salad
Neapolitan Ice Cream
Assorted Cakes
Coffee
After refreshments which began at 10:30 each was free to seek amusements and entertainment to one’s individual liking, and the committee attended to the duty of seeing that each was provided with a pleasant companion to converse with if not dancing, cozy nooks were filled, and from groups in easy chairs came sallies of wit and sparkling laughter that betokened enjoyment by those who were not chasing the fleeting hours with flying feet. Staid middle aged matrons and elderly business men forgot the flight of time and at 3 a.m., but few of the bidden guests thought of the lateness of the hour. At 4 o’clock the music ceased and soon the last of the merry makers turned their faces homeward, and the incident was closed.
PERSONALITIES.
No guest list which is reliable can be published as many left immediately after the speaking.
Mrs. Col. Barrows, one of the most popular ladies of the party, is a sister of S. C. Bagley, the Duke of Clearwater.
Mayor McKinnon’s wife and daughter are among those who are at Fosston today with the excursionists.
The governor is an indefatigable dancer and gained the everlasting admiration of quite a number of the Buds of the evening by claiming them for partners.
Miss Addie Dickmann of this city who was official interpreter for Col. Soren Listo during the latter’s term as consul to Dusseldorf, Germany, was invited by the colonel to assist him at the reception.
Hall’s orchestra is an aggregation of artists. They played many new dance numbers last night which were thoroughly enjoyed, the gem being the K. P. quadrille, which is Mr. Hall’s own composition.
Col. West – This morning: I’m not given to flattery, and though the glare and brilliance of last night’s event is a thing of the past, I still stoutly maintain that you have more handsome ladies here than I ever before saw in the same sized gathering. Beautiful, you know, and elegantly dressed too.
A list of the ladies costumes would require the pen of an artist in descriptive powers. Each looked magnificently beautiful, and all were handsomely and tastefully gowned. The greater number were in full evening dress, and the ornaments were largely diamonds and flowers.
Source:
Crookston Weekly Times?
Saturday, August 3, 1895
Volume X, Number 43, Page 1
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Source:
Polk County Minnesota in the World War
Published by C. E. Wentsel, Ada, MN, 1922
Page 188