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Knox County ILGenWeb |
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Hotels |
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The Haskell House opened its doors for public patronage in 1855. It was erected by George Haskell and stood where O. T. Johnson's store now is. It was kept first by Mr. Haskell, then by Mr. Ballingall and Edward Bonney. It also was burned. In 1857 George C. Bancroft built quite a large house for those days, on the corner of Depot and Center streets. It was opened by him under the name of the Bancroft House. This hotel has passed through a series of ownerships, and under different names. It is now called the Lindell House and is kept by Hull & Son. D. Henshaw opened a hotel in 1860, called the Henshaw House. It was on West street, between Simmons and Tompkins. It was a very popular house, and was open for several years, and then was converted into dwelling-houses. The City Hotel was opened about the close of the war. It was built by Thomas Taylor, who was the landlord for many years, then Stephen Reynolds ran it. It was closed up and the building converted in dwelling-houses. Sometime in 1862 a hotel building was completed, which was opened by Mr. Barton as the Commercial House, on the corner of Main and Kellogg streets. It is kept now by James Boyd. In 1869 the Galesburg Hotel Company erected a hotel building [Union Hotel] on the north side of the Public Square. The first building was burned down after it had been opened only a few months. The fire occurred April 18, 1870. The present structure was built in the spring of 1872. It is a plain, substantial building of brick and stone, four stories high, with a frontage of 114 feet and a depth of 90. H. Belden was the first landlord, while L. Stansbury is the present host. The town is lighted by gas, and has billiard-hall and saloon attachments. In 1870 the erection of a new hotel was started on Main and Kellogg streets. It was completed under the management of an association. It subsequently came into the possession of George W. Brown and C. H. Mathews, and was named Brown's Hotel in honor of the former. Mr. Mathews died in 1883, and his interest was purchased by N. Anthony. There were several landlords at the head of this house, when, in 1880, H. C. Case assumed control. In December, 1885, Mr. Case went to Rockford to open the Holland House, and took one of his sons, Frank H., in as a partner in the Brown Hotel, who is now the landlord, and a very active, popular and successful one he is making. There will be an addition put onto the building on the west side. The office will be transferred to the first floor and many other important improvements made, the whole cost of which will be about $20,000. The Brown Hotel is an imposing four-story brick structure, and attractive in its architecture. The rooms are large, airy, well arranged and well furnished. The building is lighted by gas and the electric light and heated by steam. The cuisine is first-class and the table is provided with everything that the market affords. Every attention is given to the guest to the end that he may feel at home, comfortable and happy. This is one of the hotels in which a traveler may stay and feel assured that in every way he is in a respectable place." |
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Union Hotel. Taken from the 1870 Atlas Map of Knox County, Illinois, Andreas, Lyter & Co., Davenport, Iowa, page 7. "Belden's Union Hotel. Completed the present summer, was erected by a stock company composed principally of Messrs. Grant, Colton, Nash, Hitchcock, and Frost, for the purpose of supplying a much-needed necessity, a first-class hotel. They have succeeded, and to-day Galesburg has the best hotel in the state outside of Chicago. The building is four stories, 86x112 feet, with 75 very commodious rooms, and built of brick; a dining room seating 200 guests; has gas, hot and cold water; with all modern improvements, and cost $60,000. It is superbly furnished at a cost of $16,000. Hiram Belding, Esq., the man who knows how to keep a hotel, was selected to take charge of it, and since its opening in August last it has been constantly filled with guests." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Taken from Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County, Munsell Publishing Company, 1899, page 679. "The "Union Hotel, " the eighth here [built in Galesburg], was opened in January 1870. It was built by a stock company of which Captain Grant was President and C. S. Colton the chief stockholder. Finally it passed into the hands of the Colton family. It was burned early in 1871 and was rebuilt the same year. For a number of years it has been one of the best hotels in Illinois. The proprietors have been: Hi Belden, a Mr. Redy, from Joplin, Missouri; Redy and Hamilton, Maj. C. E. Hamilton, a Mr. Wormley, Gorham and Mundy, Mundy and Brownell, Brownell, Dixon and Stansbury, Henry Gardt and Company, and George J. Mills. It is now owned by Henry Gardt and Company, who lease it to Mr. Mills. It occupies the block at the northwest corner of the Square and Broad street." [Contributed by Bob Miller.]
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Brown's Hotel / Illinois Hotel. [Pictures and text contributed by Bob Miller.] Taken from Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County, Munsell Publishing Company, 1899, page 679. "The ninth hotel in Galesburg was "Brown's Hotel," which, ever since its opening on November 1, 1872, has been one of the two leading hostelries in the place. It was built by a stock company of which Geo. W. Brown and Charles H. Matthews were the principal stockholders. It is a large brick edifice on the southwest corner of Main and Kellogg streets, and has been altered and improved two or three times since its first building. In 1891 Norman Anthony purchased it and still owns it. For the first two years of his ownership it was run by McMurtry Brothers and Kirch. Since then Mr. Anthony has run it himself. The other proprietors in order were Frank Poindexter, Messrs. Mead, Benjamin Lombard, Sr., and Captain H. C. Case."
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