Friday's Photo: McLain Hotel Gardens, Seymour, Texas

The stone wall next to the garden is part of the hotel. A good photo of the McLain Hotel can be found at The City of Seymour.org.

Minna graduated from High School in 1921.
Could the card have been from her father Otto,
a traveling salesman for a publishing company?

This post card, purchased on ebay, was mailed to Minna Radusch of St. Paul Park, Minnesota. The postmark isn't clear, but it was mailed sometime between 1908 (when the stamp was first issued) and assumed to be sent prior to the fire in 1920. 

Written on the card is The building marked with the Inkline is the Hotel. However, the inkline appears to be above what I believe is Seymour High School. The Washington Hotel was another hotel in Seymour. Could the sender have mistaken the high school for the Washington Hotel?

Visit the Amon Carter Museum: Texas Bird's-Eye Views to see photos of the Washington and McLain Hotels. 

I cannot read the closing portion and signature at the end of the message. Any help is appreciated. 

Building of the McLain Hotel was announced in 1890 after citizens of Seymour came together to form the McLain Hotel Company. The stone hotel was going to be built on Main Street in Seymour for a cost of $30,000. 

In 1893, as reported in the Galveston Daily News, the McLain Hotel was nearing completion. 

In 1901, the hotel had been standing for ten years in unfinished condition. It was reported in the Seymour News that J.C. Ziegler was working on the roof and the McLain was nearing completion. 

The Jacksboro Gazette gave a detailed report of the fire that destroyed the McLain Hotel on November 1, 1920. 

The fire was covered extensively in the November issues of the Baylor County Banner found on microfilm. The fire appeared to have been caused by a gas explosion. It was reported that a gas coffee urn had been removed just days prior to the fire and a build-up of gas was thought to have caused the explosion. 

It was reported that most of the 56 rooms were occupied at the time and about 70 people were evacuated. Mr. S. Goram, hotel manager, and his brother, Wallace, were able to get most residents out of building. Mr. Hoyt Whiteside of Seymour died in the fire. Andy Bowie was one of the last persons to make it out of the building. 

To read more about the McLain Hotel, visit the The Portal to Texas History. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2017

Sources

Amon Carter Museum: Texas Bird's-Eye Views. Web. 23 Feb. 2017. <http://www.birdseyeviews.org/zoom.php?city=Seymour&year=1890&extra_info>.


Barber, Geo. P. The Seymour News (Seymour, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, May 3, 1901, newspaper, May 3, 1901; Seymour, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth235273/: accessed February 17, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The Galveston Daily News. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 1893, newspaper, May 4, 1893; Galveston, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth467910/: accessed February 17, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

Fort Worth Daily Gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 180, Ed. 1, Thursday, April 10, 1890, newspaper, April 10, 1890; Fort Worth, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth87712/: accessed February 17, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; .

Harrison, O. C. The Baylor County Banner. (Seymour, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 6, Friday, Nov. 4, 1920, Microfilm.  

High School Building, Seymour, Texas 1908 | HistoricTexas.net Texas History, Old Photographs, Maps and More.... Web. 23 Feb. 2017. <http://www.historictexas.net/image/baylor-county/high-school-building-seymour-texas-1908>.

The Jacksboro Gazette (Jacksboro, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 4, 1920, newspaper, November 4, 1920; Jacksboro, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth729780/: accessed February 17, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Gladys Johnson Ritchie Library.

 U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 for Minna Radusch. Minneapolis. 1921. Web. 23 Feb. 2017. <http://interactive.ancestry.com/1265/sid_7002003304_1921_0047?pid=408452966>.