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Meeker Hotel, Past and Present
By PK | December 22, 2008
The minute I stepped into this historic hotel, I knew my next article was born. I love history and places that have character and you’ll find that here in the Meeker Hotel located on Main Street in Meeker in Northwest Colorado.
Present Day Meeker Hotel
The Meeker Hotel opened in 1886 in an old Army barracks. By 1896 it was time for a new building so the center portion of the hotel was erected.
Present Day Meeker Hotel in construction
The structure standing today was finished in 1904 and the east and west wings began being constructed. The Meeker Hotel has been in operation for over 120 years and has been host to such famous people as Teddy Roosevelt and Billy the Kid a.k.a. William H. Bonney, one of his many aliases.
Past Days at the Meeker Hotel
Charlie Dunbar and Susan Wright were the original partners, however, Charlie, a professional gambler, was shot and killed during an argument about a card game just a few short months after the hotel and cafe opened for business. In 1884, Miss Wright and Simp Harp became partners in the hotel business.
Hotel Front Desk Registry
The hotel seemed doomed for owners, however, as Miss Wright became ill and died in March of 1893 willing her real estate and personal property to her brother, Rueben Sanford Ball, who began working with his sister in 1891.
Lobby~~~~~~~~~~~~ Woodstove~~~~~~~~~~~ Hallway
A guest knows they’re in for something unique the moment their footsteps repeat history and echo off the lobby’s hardwood floor. For some it may be the hand stitched leather chairs, the glass work or the custom forged wood burning stove.
Moose~~~~~~~~~~~~non-typical Mule Deer~~~ non-typical Elk
For others it may be the biographies and pictures hanging on the walls, documenting some of the Hotel’s most exciting guests and for many more it will be the world-renowned trophies of non-typical elk, mule deer, and moose.
Hotel dining room~~~~ Hotel staircase~~~~~ hardwood floors
For me it was the warm, cozy dining room and elk chandelier, the hand-hewn stair railings and character logs, and the worn, scarred hardwood floors from many cowboys and I’m sure numerous old Western stories long forgotten.
Teddy Roosevelt and a Lion Hunting Party in Meeker
And for many trophy hunters, Meeker is home to some of the nation’s most extraordinary big game hunting opportunities as well as the largest elk herd in America. Thousands of hunters from around the globe travel to northwest Colorado each year to admire the beauty and take home a prize animal. Teddy Roosevelt, as seen in this 1901 photograph, prepares for a mountain lion hunt in Meeker.
President Theodore Roosevelt played an instrumental role in creating Colorado’s extensive public lands system. Between 1903 and 1909, Roosevelt worked to establish a network of national forest lands in the state, making it possible for all sportsmen, regardless of social stature, to use and enjoy these rich game habitats and stunning landscapes.
Hwy 13 from Craig, Colorado to Meeker, Colorado
So if you are interested in becoming better acquainted with an off-the-beaten path and experience some Western hospitality, visit Meeker Hotel and take a step back in history.
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Topics: Colorado |
4 Responses to “Meeker Hotel, Past and Present”
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December 22nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
[...] Original unknown [...]
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
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December 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
A place full of character and histry by all accounts, looks lik a type of place to stay not only on hunting trips, but haunting trips!
December 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Merry Christmas to you and your family.