Sleep Historic

Whenever traveling anywhere where a hotel is needed, my preference has always been staying at a historic hotel. Not that a luxurious spa or hotel wouldn’t be nice, there’s something about the historic value of staying at an old hotel that connects to me. Numerous old hotels remain today, competing against the hotel chains that are the same no matter which state you go to. Older hotels, on the other hand, are unique in their own ways. The architecture and style are different, the interior design is different, and the stories are different. Like I’ve said in a previous blog, walls can talk. History in these buildings remain and the preserved hotels bring uniqueness to each not only story, but memories that remain as the years pass by. Yes, some often have ghost stories. Possibly they are indeed haunted (look back at the blog: The Jerome Grand Hotel – A Ghostly Tale) while others are not. Some claim to be haunted to keep tourists coming to their establishment while others are truly haunted – in my opinion anyway. Whether or not haunted, the historic value of each differs where whenever I travel, I’d much rather prefer staying at an old and historic hotel than the standard hotel chain that is everywhere throughout the United States and world. In regards to historic hotels, I’ll share the ones I’ve stayed at with a little history and photograph of each.

Connor Hotel 

Jerome, Arizona

Jerome was a large mining town in Northern Arizona and once had a population of nearly 5,000 people but today, less than 500. Built in 1898, the Connor Hotel has interior features including brick walls and a slanted floor due to settling throughout the years. The hotel is next door to the old theater in Jerome, directly down the old and historic main street. A beautiful, small hotel.

Copper Queen Hotel 

Bisbee, Arizona

The Copper Queen Hotel was built and opened in 1902 in the thriving copper mining town of Bisbee, Arizona. Many guests have signed the guest list including John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and many others. Being the longest operating hotel in Arizona, the hotel has kept a lot of its original design and been preserved well throughout the years.

Delaware Hotel 

Leadville, Colorado

During the late 19^th Century, Leadville had a peak population of around 15,000 but today has less than 3,000. Being a former hub for mining due to the rich ore around Leadville, many people came here in hopes of riches and fortune. Built in 1886, the hotel feature historic photographs and furniture in each room and the hallways. The rooms have a lot of historic Victorian value and original charm to keep its authenticity.

Hotel Congress 

Tucson, Arizona

The hotel resides in the heart of downtown Tucson, directly across from the Rialto Theatre. The hotel was built in 1919 but is best known for the fire in 1934. John Dillinger was staying here and was able to flee during the fire from the third story (which is now gone) but was soon captured. The rooms are preserved to look as they did when the hotel was first built – even using the hotel’s original phone switchboard.

Jerome Grand

Jerome, Arizona

This building was built in 1926 as the United Verde Hospital, owned by the United Verde Copper Company. It was said that 15,000 people died in the hospital before closing in the 1950s. Many died due to the town’s mining and diseases such as black lung. After standing 44 years unoccupied, it re-opened as a hotel in 1996. The hotel features the still operating Arizona’s first self-service elevator by Otis which was installed in 1926 and the original Kewanee Boiler, also installed the same year. Known to be very haunted.

Peck House

Empire, Colorado

The historic Peck House was originally built in 1863 and was built by James Peck. Throughout the rest of the 19^th Century, additions were added and the building became a hotel in 1872. P.T. Barnum and many Civil War generals stayed in the hotel and the Peck House was Colorado’s longest continuous hotel until it was closed in 2014 to become a private residence.

Manresa Castle 

Port Townsend, Washington

The building was constructed in 1892 as a private residence. With walls that are twelve inches thick, construction was built to last. In 1927, after being vacant a couple of decades, Jesuit priests purchased the building to use as a training college to study ascetic theology. In 1968, the Jesuits left and the building became a hotel, featuring many upgrades while keeping the historical value intact to the beautiful building.

My First (and Hopefully Last) 1-Star Review

I received my first one-star review for one of my books. It happens, but thankfully it wasn’t for the content but instead, how the work transferred over to someone’s Kindle device. I’m not very technological so I don’t know how the final manuscript looks on theirs but when I used mine, it was fine. Indicating the light was too bright, I’m not sure what could have caused that. What I do understand is that all books are not meant for electronic reading. Ones that have a lot of pictures are nice to share on devices such as Kindle so the pictures can be color. Printing color books cost a lot of money which is why you usually see black and white when the focus is on the text over the photography. This book does feature some photographs where I figured a Kindle or other e-reader device would be nice to show the photographs in color as well as to be able to zoom into certain pictures. Well, not every book was meant to be shown electronically but I’ll keep working on a way. 

With what I just said on my mind, I wanted to mention the importance of reviews...well, good reviews, that is. So, with a one-star review hindering future sales, the importance of reviews is key to increasing not only sales for an author, but exposure. Please remember, if you read a book and enjoy it, please share the love with the author and let them know by leaving a review. Also, the more reviews a book gets, the more willing the company, for example, Amazon, will promote the work – in essence helping the author make more sales. And hey, if you don’t like the book, let them know kindly with constructive criticism. What I learned early in writing and taking writing courses was constructive criticism, even though less harsh, helps not only tell the author what they did wrong but more so a reasoning behind it and what they could do better next time. You can’t fix something if all someone does is bash it so even though the one-star review hurts and I wish they would have been more lenient in the rating, the criticism being as constructive as it was, helps me better the book and final product. But, also, please help an author (like me) and if you’ve enjoyed something you read, please leave a review. 

History of the Sprouse-Reitz Five and Dime Store

I was always curious of this former retailer's history since coming across an abandoned storefront in the old main street of Lowell, Arizona. The red tiles brought me to a mid-century time when people walked main street and shopped for everything they needed – much different than going to big box retailers and malls today.  

(Photograph available to purchase via www.benjaminmollenhour.weebly.com)

Robert A. Sprouse founded Sprouse-Reitz five and dime store in 1909. Robert Sprouse started out as s a traveling peddler but being unable to carry all the merchandise his customers wanted, he decided to open up his first store. The company’s headquarters were first in Tacoma, Washington but moved to Portland, Oregon in 1919. There were over 350 stores within twelve western states at its peak. The average size of each store was between 14,000 and 15,000 square feet. 

Sprouse-Reitz continued to expand by the 1960s and a store opening in Healdsburg, California, an advertisement promoted, “Two checkout stands for your shopping experience,” in a building that had air conditioning. During the mid to late 1980s, the company began its decline. In 1989, Sprouse-Reitz rebranded by changing its name to just, “SPROUSE!” In the middle of the following year, then CEO, Robert Sprouse II, who owned 80% of the company votes, changed the company’s focus in an attempt to rejuvenate sales. 

Before, Sprouse-Reitz had numerous departments including candy, notions, drugs, shoes, tin ware, crockery, plastics, and even pets. In 1990, within 287 stores, Sprouse changed the departments to include only six areas he and others in the company thought that other retailers were lacking. These six departments were housewares, home furnishings, apparel, crafts, toys and paper products (including greeting cards and wrapping paper). Robert Sprouse stated that, “What we’ve had to do is reposition our merchandise mix and work a little harder on our presentation.” 

During the early 1990s, some of the stores branched off to become independent while others turned into Ben Franklin stores. The change of direction did not help enough and they continued to struggle. Sprouse-Reitz was sold to SR Partners Incorporated for $22.9 million. Sprouse family members remained advisors after the sale. A couple of years later in December 1993, Sprouse liquidated and closed its last eighty-four stores. By early of 1994, all stores were closed after they were unable to find a buyer in time before filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy.  

Quarters a Plenty in the Arcade

Penny arcades is where the aspect of arcades began. During the beginning of the 20th Century, these penny arcades sprouted up throughout the country and cost one penny to play – hence the name. There were a variety of types of not only games, but also moving pictures. The variety of games included the fortune teller, shooting games where a metal ball would shoot at targets, and even a cabinet you could look into a viewer and watch as pictures flipped quickly to give the sense of a moving picture. I remember years ago going to a museum in Stone Mountain, Georgia where they featured a handful of penny arcade attractions. I remember watching an old boxing match as well as a few other types of these moving pictures. You would put the coin in and watching into the viewer, the picture would flip quickly and the light turned on for a short amount of time. Suddenly the light dimmed and the pictures stopped rotating. The more you paid, the more you could watch.  

It wouldn’t be until the 1970s when arcades began featuring actual video games. With the introduction of game companies such as Atari, and games like Centipede, arcades instantly gained popularity. More games continued to come out and kids, as well as adults, fled to these arcades that sprouted up in every town and city. During the 1980s, more gaming competition led to even more games, such as Pac Man and Donkey Kong being released which led to the peak of arcade popularity. Better graphics, sound and play ability brought players into these arcades where they used their allowance to play as many games as possible. Not only were games featured in arcades but also places such as restaurants and bowling alleys. Sadly, though, going into the 1990s, popularity of the arcade began to dwindle. Easier access to games at home led to the decline of the need to have to go to the arcade. Many companies shut down and arcades closed. Some remain today and have games such as at the bowling alley, bars, and there are still a few traditional arcades remaining. 

With changing times came changing games. Throughout the 90s, games began producing tickets where players could collect a certain amount of tickets to exchange for prizes. Games such as Skee Ball and others were popular for gameplay. Coming into the 2000s, retailers/restaurants such as Chuck E Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza were still popular amongst kids and parties where children were still able to play a variety of games. Even retailers like FYE, as I remember going to in the early 2000s, had a large arcade in the back of the store in the Oviedo, Florida mall (sadly now having been shut down for a while).  

Today, Chuck E Cheese and those alike are beginning to struggle whereas newer fusion restaurants geared towards adults, like Dave n Busters, still remain a hangout where adults can play numerous styles of games. The games have changed drastically since the beginning penny arcades and even the early 70s games. A lot of games today feature less gameplay but more attraction of winning a prize (even though nearly impossible). Some of the retro video games still remain popular and a name stay for arcades that are still operating to bring that sense of nostalgia back to those who play. Some bowling alleys still have games and even some pizzerias still have small arcade sections. Numerous pinball locations have popped up the last decade and have gained popularity. So, next time you see an arcade, head inside and bring back some memories. Throw a few quarters in the machines and go back in time as well as support the small business. The next time you’re in a restaurant and you see a lonely arcade game back in the corner, think of the attention that game once got and how hungry it must be for a quarter, so after you eat, take a few minutes to enjoy the game.  

Arcade games have gained in popularity recently due to the ability to purchase smaller versions for home use. Many traditional and popular games have been produced and many more will come in in the near future. These games still feature the joystick and original gameplay but not being in the arcade surrounded by your friends with all the noise echoing throughout the room just isn’t the same but for most, where there are no arcades, it can be a great alternative. It is always fun watching an old film from the 80s and watching a scene take place in the arcade and wishing to be able to go back there for a day. 

Here’s an arcade down main street Renton, called 8-Bit Arcade that is still operating today that we go to when able. Games are still a quarter and there’s ample games, pinball, and even a bar with food and drinks. I’ve spent a lot of quarters throughout the years in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade, as well as later on with gunplay games such as the House of Dead II and T2, so I make sure to keep a few quarters in the car just in case I want to go back in time for a few minutes. 

Why Are They Called Junk Piles?

I’ve been to numerous junk piles…not garbage dumps in the sense of today’s verbiage but those in what are known today as ghost towns. These towns weren’t always ghost towns, obviously, but people lived there. Without a garbage system that we have today and are fortunate to have, these towns had to create their own dumps. There are numerous types of dumps from different time periods and different cultures.

Florida has many that are called shell mounds. Ancient and old Indian tribes would eat a lot of shelled creatures since they were close to the ocean and had access. They would collect their shells and other bones from animals they hunted and would pile it up. Today, a lot of these mounds are still around and mostly preserved. A lot have been torn down and the shells used for roads or paths but looking around, few remain today. Within the mounds are not only shells and bones, but trash from these ancient tribes such as broken spear points or other items that held no use. Even though the Indians were resourceful, once the point on an arrowhead broke in half, the piece was no longer of any use and was trashed and sit in the mound for thousands of years or more so now, scattered amongst the roads that used these ancient shell mounds.

Arizona and Western States had many ghost towns and with ghost towns came trash heaps. Railroads also had their own dumps. Having been to a few trails in Florida where the railroad once went through the areas now overran by hanging moss, if you look close enough you sometimes see shards of glass or metal. Most of these are from lazy and obnoxious hikers or hunters who litter and ruin the environment. Sometimes though, there are piles left from the railroad. Back before regulations, the railroads would dump their trash in a certain location and piles. The glass would shatter as trash was thrown from the train in these piles and the glass crumbles more each year. The same goes for other areas in the United States where railroads threw trash in collected piles.

One day I hiked an old, torn up railroad in Southwestern Arizona to journey for a day in the desolate desert, not seeing a single person. Often times I wandered off the railroad to find any remnants of past life and a few times ran into trash heaps off the side of the railroad. Most everything was broken as they lied for years and decades in the hot, desert sun but walking around, many random items can be found such as a 1960s Huckleberry Hound toy.

It’s not only large trash piles scattered scarcely throughout but often there were houses spread in the areas where people had once lived. They would often, especially in times of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, throw trash outside their homes or shacks. Wandering in certain areas you can notice so many and by what trash you see, you can estimate how old the area was or when people had lived there. In one such area where I found a round bottom bottle, that item told me the area was inhabited in the 1870s and 80s at minimum. Another area that I figured was quite old by walking around through the trees, miles away from any road and yes, actually lost if it wasn’t for the mountain I saw and knew how to get back, I saw an old leather sole of a boot. Those are common since they don’t break down very fast but this one looked peculiar. Then, I found the usual button…being so small, buttons are often found. In this same area that had a lot of older artifacts was this rare bottle, no more than two inches high. Surprisingly intact and well preserved, one of my favorite pieces is this circa 1880s opium bottle (pictured below). With mandarin writing on the bottle, these were popular in the Chinese opium dens and areas throughout the old west.

Remember though and be wary that some areas don’t allow collecting of anything found on the land – especially private land owned by the Bureau of Land Management and others. Now, unless it was a gold nugget or coin, to me that to me might be fair game. Still waiting for that, though.

Lead to Leadville

Having released the first issue of Abandonment, a magazine featuring the best photographs I’ve taken of areas featuring abandoned buildings and forgotten history, I wanted to focus on the first issue – Leadville, Colorado. Why Leadville?

I first went to Leadville back in 2011 or so when my Uncle brought me there. He ran the fifty-mile ultra-marathon and he brought me along which was a blast! He did awesome in the race and we did a lot of hiking, camping and sightseeing. Leadville is an old mining town founded in the 1860s in Colorado. The town sits at over 10,000 feet and is the highest town in the United States. It takes a few days to become acclimated to the altitude since the oxygen is much purer up there than anywhere else. Often times if you overexert yourself hiking or working out, you’ll be out of breath quicker. With the town being up so high, the summers are short. Lasting a mere few months, the summer months are active in town and bustling with athletes and outdoorsmen running, biking, hiking, fishing, and any other outdoor activity since there is so much nature and sightseeing to do.

There are many fun aspects of Leadville including the historic town itself. Walking down main street, there are numerous old buildings including the oldest Saloon still operating in Colorado, the Tabor Opera House which is an amazing architectural structure in itself, to the Delaware Hotel. There are so many historic buildings to list as well as fun museums. There are many delicious restaurants that, even though I’m not sure if they’re still there, but a pizza restaurant with delicious pizza as well as Quincy’s Steakhouse. Quincy’s had a limited menu but the steaks they offered on nights, each night a different variation, were priced efficiently but the food was great. Coffee and cookies in the morning were a great way to start the day before adventuring out to hike and go to the many mining camps throughout and see many abandoned and buildings in ruin. Sadly, the buildings are not taken care of and as every day passes, they rot more and more. Most of the buildings in Leadville are made of wood and the sun, rain, and snowy winter’s damage and weaken the buildings each passing year. Going there, there were many buildings and areas to photograph and preserve history. It’s fun to imagine what the areas once looked like and looking at old pictures brings an astonishing thought to the now quiet area.

Having been two additional times, I can’t wait to return as it has been quite a few years. I look forward to the beautiful campsite by the lake, the history, and heritage, as well as the clean air and places to wander and get lost at. I remember after going a couple of times, I wondered how it would be to live there and even applied to a couple of job openings in town. Thankfully, I did not get the calls since I’m sure the winters would be dreadful. Even though, Leadville is a great town to visit and get some fresh air.

Interested in seeing the photos of such abandoned buildings and areas in Leadville and the surrounding mining camps? Please check out the first issue of Abandonment: Leadville, Colorado.

https://www.blurb.com/b/10121944-abandonment-leadville-colorado

Mount Plymouth: Al Capone, Golf, and Beautiful Architecture

While traveling to Mount Dora or surrounding areas, I always made it a point to take the route through the small town, well, the community of Mt. Plymouth. Looking up the community and seeing it has a population of just over 4,000, the road goes through the area quickly. There are a few aspects of the community that are very interesting and quite historic. Firstly, Mt. Plymouth was put on the map when in 1926, a large hotel was built. The Mount Plymouth Hotel cost $350,000 to build and many notable celebrities and famous people stopped and stayed there. Numerous rumors surround the town (more stated throughout this blog) but some of the people known to stay at the hotel were Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and Al Capone. The community was easily accessible due to there being an airstrip next to the hotel. During the same year the hotel was built, multiple golf courses were to be built in the style of the popular Scottish golf course, St. Andrews. Due to the crash in the Florida real estate in the 1920s, the town wasn’t able to build what they had hoped but there were still numerous courses built where celebrities, athletes, and prominent people came to play. Unfortunately, one of the main courses that had remained, the Mount Plymouth Golf Club closed in 2007.

(The abandoned golf course)

Once fewer people came to the hotel as the decades passed, in 1959 the Florida Central Academy leased and used the hotel and area to open a boys boarding school and they later began accepting girls around 1971. The school operated until 1983 and the building was sadly condemned. Unfortunately, as what happens to most large and abandoned buildings, careless vandals came in and a few years after closing, a fire began and the building was destroyed – more history was lost. Even though the hotel is gone, spread throughout the community are a few remnants of the beautiful Sam Stoltz’s “Gingerbread” style homes. These homes were built in and around the 1920s and are reminiscent of being in a fairytale.

(One of Sam Stoltz's remaining homes built circa 1920s)

Uniquely, some myth revolves around one of these homes in particular as well as Mt. Plymouth itself. Whether to call it urban legend or myth, there is no true documentation that I could see but rumor has it that Al Capone had a home in Mount Plymouth. His bookkeeper was known to own one of the Stoltz’s homes. I won’t show the bookkeeper’s house or say which one it is due to privacy reasons for the current owner (the lucky person!), but rumored are to be tunnels under the house for the potential threat if police were to track down Capone and raid the community. No one has yet to justify these tunnels actually exist but thinking of the possibility is fun. The home Capone is rumored to have owned (of course, not under his own name) is still standing and near the road going through town. There is a large porch on the second story that would make for a great lookout. Oddly enough, the pool in the backyard was filled with concrete a long time ago. Capone supposedly owned numerous vacation homes around Florida and understanding how easy it was to access Mt. Plymouth with its own airstrip and golf resort-style town, it can be easy to see why Capone and other celebrities chose to visit this community.

(Home rumored to have been owned by Al Capone)

Something else to think about is during the 20s, Capone was thriving in Chicago and was very rich. The problem was his syndicate had a lot of dirty money he needed to clean. Some historians have even mentioned that Capone secretly invested through his contacts to clean his money and invested in numerous properties and areas in Florida, such as the Mount Plymouth Hotel. It’s fun to think of history and the possibilities and to try and figure out the mysteries.

So, the next time you drive through the area, take a little detour and explore some interesting history and see the once-thriving vacation spot and look out – maybe you’ll see Babe Ruth and Al Capone walking down the golf course, talking baseball while smoking cigars and playing golf.