Friday's Photo: Hotel Giddens

Hotel Giddens - Edinburg, Texas

In 1947, Charles A. Giddens and his 2nd wife, Estella Giddens, left St. Louis where they owned a clothing store to become hoteliers. Hotel Giddens, at 410-412 Closner Boulevard in Edinburg, Hildago County, Texas, was formerly the Gateway Inn. 

It appears that the hotel was purchased for "$10.00 and other good and valuable consideration."  Does this mean that the hotel was actually purchased for only $10? I am hoping someone can answer this question.

Charles and Estella remodeled the hotel and the formal opening was held on December 15, 1947. The hotel was home to visitors and small businesses. 

Charles and Estella sold the hotel for $65,000.00 to Hector Beauckelaere of Wayne County, Michigan on September 16, 1949. In 1954, the agreement with Hector was canceled and the hotel sold for $45,000.00 to O.S. Wyatt and A. A. Moore. 

The Edinburg City Directory published in December of 1949 indicated that Charles and Estella were living in Edinburg at 217 East Lovett Street. It was written in the directory that Charles was retired. However, Charles and Estella must have left Texas prior to the publication of the directory as they purchased land just prior to December 1, 1949 in Sedalia, Missouri where they lived their remaining years. 

Diana

© 2015

"1 Aug 1947, Page 10 - at Newspapers.com." N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://www.newspapers.com/image/41351543/?terms=%22c%2Ba%2Bgiddens%22>.

"14 Dec 1947, Page 17 - Valley Morning Star at Newspapers.com." N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=3009910>.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

General Warranty Deed from R. E. Hamme, and wife, Irene Hamme, and C. J. Hamme and wife, Fairy Hamme to C. A. Giddens and wife, Estella Giddens, 24 June 1947. (filed 21 July 1947), Hildago County, Texas, Deed Book 613, page 628. County Clerk's Office, Edinburg, Texas.

General Warranty Deed from C. A. Giddens and Estella Giddens to Hector Beuckelarere, 16 Sept. 1949. (filed 23 Sept. 1949), Hildago County, Texas, Deed Book 670, page 606. County Clerk's Office, Edinburg, Texas.

General Warranty Deed from C. A. Giddens and Estella Giddens to O. S. Wyatt and A. A. Moore, 1 Nov. 1954. (filed 8 Dec. 1954), Hildago County, Texas, Deed Book 356, page 196. County Clerk's Office, Edinburg, Texas.

"U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 for Census Figures Rect." U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 forCensus Figures Rect. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://interactive.ancestry.com/2469/4830124/384923023>.

"U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 for Drive-In Sibley's."  N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://interactive.ancestry.com/2469/4830124/384923023>.

Friday's Photo: Howell Albritton and a Revisit to Last Week's Photo

Howell Albritton 1828 - 1900

Unknown Couple

Last week, I posted a photo of an unknown couple that had been squirreled away on my computer since 2001. I suggested that it could be a Bryan, Albritton, Regan or Hammett. 

I was contacted almost immediately by my brilliant second cousin, Jane, who said that the man looked an awful lot like a photo of Howell Albritton on Ancestry.com. Well, I won't post the photo from Ancestry as I haven't yet received permission from the owner, but the above photo of Howell is mine and was in bible that once belonged to Terrell Bryan and his wife, Harriet Albritton Bryan.  Howell was Harriet's older brother. 

The different profiles of the men pictured in this side by side comparison makes it a little difficult; however, they have the same nose, head shape, and the same large mustache. The distance between his eyes and eyebrows look to be about the same. The hairstyle on the tintype of Howell from the family bible may have been taken in the late 1850s or early 1860s. The hair over his ears and the puffy hair on top date that picture. The photo of the unknown couple probably dates around 1890. 

The woman in the photo of the unknown couple looks quite a lot younger than the man. That made me wonder if it was a father - daughter photo instead of a married couple, but this week, I brushed up on my Albritton history.  Howell was fourteen years older than his wife, Laura Irene McDaniels!  And, a Xeroxed copy of a photo of an older Laura (at Ancestry.com) looks as if there might be a match -  a better photo is needed. 

While I cannot definitely say that the unknown photo is of Howell and Laura Albritton, research in that direction is certainly warranted. If not Howell, what about other men in that family. My great-grandmother, Harriet, had several brothers. 

Diana

© 2015

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

Family photographs from the collection of Judy McAlister. Used with permission.

"Men's Clothing." - 1850s. Web. Accessed 2 July 2015. 
<http://www.uvm.edu/landscape/dating/clothing_and_hair/1850s_clothing_men.php>.

"Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog: Friday's Photo: An Unknown Couple." Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog. Diana Bryan Quinn, 31 July 2015. Web. Accessed 7 Aug. 2015. <http://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/fridays-photo-unknown-couple.html>.

Taylor, Maureen Alice. Family Photo Detective: Learn How to Find Genealogy Clues in Old Photos and Solve Family Photo Mysteries. Cincinnati: Family Tree, 2013. Print.