The Columbus Democrat, August 20, 1886
Our Hotels.
The Columbus Democrat, March 1, 1889
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COLUMBUS' NEW HOTEL OPENED MONDAY LAST.
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The Lights Shown O'er Fair Women and Handsome Men--Music Mingled Merrily With Cheery Careless Conversation--The Building--Its Builders--Proprietor--Clerks Etc.
The Thurston Hotel was built by the Columbus Improvement Company at a cost of $25,000. It was commenced August 1888, and completed February 1889. It is built of brick, three stories and basement, with South and west front, faced with St. Louis pressed brick, with stone trimmings. It is 68x78 feet, with sixteen-inch walls. The building contains fifty-five rooms, all of which are large and well lighted. The basement is occupied by the barber shop, a room 20x38, supplied with hot and cold water; a billiard hall, 23x40; laundry, 23x36, with hot boiler, capacity 120 gallons, steam drying coil, and six tubs, with hot and cold water; boiler room, 20x36, containing steam coiler, engine, gas machine, etc.; besides these, there is a vegetable room, bar-room and coal bins. The first floor, which is about six feet from the ground and is reached by stone steps, is divided into seven rooms--office 21x38; three sample rooms, 15x20; dining room, 23x40; kitchen, 23x38, supplied with improved range, and steam attachment of the latest pattern, capable of providing for two hundred guests; a cozy ladies' reception room is located at the end of the hall. The second and third floors are divided into sleeping rooms, all of which are carpeted with handsome Brussels carpet, and furnished in comfortable and modern style. The building is lighted by air gas, heated by steam, and hot and cold water on all the floors. All the sleeping rooms are connected with the office by a system of electric bells, with return call, and fire alarm attachment. The building is warmed by low pressure steam apparatus, consisting of 23,000 feet of direct radiators, supplied with steam from a thirty-five horse boiler. A system of sanitary plumbing, consisting of closets, baths, laboratories, etc., is also provided.
The house is complete from "basement to attic," and with mine host Pollock at the head, who enjoys an extended acquaintance with the traveling public, there is no good reason why it should not become a success, and a standing evidence of the thrift and enterprise of the citziens of Columbus.
The carpenter work was done under the supervision of the contractor, C.H. Davis, of this city; E.C. Williams of Omaha, did the brick work; G.H. Wood, of David City, plumbing and steam heating; Mason Bell plastering; J.C. Echols, painting; Sherman Knee, electrical appliances; Detroit Gas Co., gas machinery; Albu Schall, Omaha, cut stone; B. Grahl, Council Bluffs, cornice.
If John M. Thurston, after whom Columbus' new hostelry was named, had chanced to step into that abode of comfort and elegance last Monday evening, he would have been both surprised and pleased at what he saw, and would have felt prouder than ever of being the godfather of the hotel.
In early evening those invited to the opening began flocking to the parlors of the new hotel, until the parlors would no longer hold them, when they wandered to different rooms on the four floors of the house, which were all thrown open to the guests. Mine host John W. Pollock and wife received the guests as they arrived and took each one by the hand as they were presented. The guests were from far and near, and very numerous. Every arrangement for their comfort and entertainment had been made, and they wandered through the house admiring its spacious halls and rooms, elegant furniture and carpets and all its appointments. Everybody enjoyed themselves, and everybody was there, seemingly, who had not gone to the inaugural at Washington.
Among the guests from abroad were Frank Gay of the Gay House, Fullerton and Frank Locke of the Pacific, Norfolk. W.B. Roth and wife of Omaha were the first guests of The Thurston.
John W. Pollock, late of Beatrice, is the landlord. He is ably assisted by George H. Spear and J.A. McDaniel clerks, and under their watchful care the house is bound to be a success.
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 Thank you to Ethel Sutton for submitting this photograph! |
The Columbus Weekly Telegram, September 27, 1889
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OPENING OF THE NEW HOTEL
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The Fine New Building Dedicated to Its Use--Hundreds Enjoyed the Hospitality It Offered Last Night--Exercises Incident to the Occasion.
From Saturday's Daily.
In 1866 when the Union Pacific railroad had reached the banks of the Loup river, incidents happened which the events of last night brought to the minds of the old settlers. George Francis Train erected on the corner of Olive and Twelfth streets a large hotel called the Credit Foncier. He predicted a great future for Columbus, and prophesied that within a few years great cities would spring up all along the line of the Union Pacific railroad, and that Columbus would one day be one of the greatest of them. This was 23 years ago. Time had been severe on the roof and walls of the old Credit Foncier, lately known as the Hammond house, and the old, historical building had become an eyesore to the citizens of Columbus. At different times for several years efforts have been made to purchase the lots occupied by the old building, but until last spring nothing was accomplished. Then R. Brandt and R.G. Fleming took the matter in hand, and secured the property for $6,000. They immeidately began the erection of a three story building, and in a miraculously short time one of the finest equipped hotels in the west had arisen on the Credit Foncier corner. It was named The Fleming for the junior member of the firm, R.G. Fleming, and standing as it does on one of the most prominent corners of the city, presenting a handsome appearance it is one of the improvements in which Columbus can feel a just pride. The building is 66x78 feet and three stories in height. It contains 46 bed chambers, office, kitchen, dining room, sample room, billiard room and other necessaries. A steam heating aparatus is being placed in it, and every room is brilliantly lighted with electricity.
It was the house that hundreds of people of Columbus and adjoining towns gathered in last night on invitation of the proprietors. Every possible preparation had been made to entertain its guests, and every person present had a grand good time. The Columbus band opened the exercises with music, and after the guests had gathered within, the Columbus orchestra kept up the refrain. On behalf of the proprietors, D.F. Davis introduced Judge H.J. Hudson, one of the oldest settlers of the city, who spoke for half an hour in his usual happy vane. He referred to the past history of the city and the spot occupied by the hotel, and called up many pleasant reminiscenses of the past, comparing the lack of accommodations when he first came to this place with the splendid entertainment offered by the Fleming today. Judge Hudson was followed by Hon. G.G. Bowman in a few eloquent remarks, in which he paid a well deserved compliment to the enterprising proprietor who had erected the building in the face of so many difficulties. The ball then opened in the dining room where many enjoyed themselves for several hours in dancing, while others inspected the house and enjoyed a social chat with friends. An elegant banquet, made up of the choicest viands and served in style, was hugely enjoyed by the guests, and the "opening" of The Fleming was accomplished. It is a complete hotel, perfect in all its arrangements, and furnishes the best of entertainment to its guests. R. Brandt and R.G. Fleming, the proprietors, are bent on making it a success. Charles O. Wright, the chief clerk, and James Rutland, his assistant are efficient men in their line, while in the sample room J.W. Reynolds and J.M. Brown are equally at home and considerate to the wants of customers.
The Columbus Tribune, January 27, 1909
A detonation, loud enough to be heard to the farthest limits of the city occurred last Monday evening at 6:05, and was caused by the explosion of the acetyline gas tank at the Thurston hotel, the force of the explosion was sufficient to entirely demolish the kitchen, in which were the cook, J.L. Hunter and his wife, who acts as his assisant. Mr. Hunter was rescued with little trouble, being pinned down by a few bricks and planks, and was cut and bruised slightly. Mrs. Hunter fared worse. She was standing near the range, serving from a steamer when the explosion occurred, and was precipitated through the floor to the cellar, where she was pinned by broken planks and bricks. Heroic effort on the part of Chas. Liffingwell, Phillip Echols, and Dr. C.V. Campbell, rescued the woman from certain death in the flames. The fire department was quickly on the scene, and had a stream of water on the flames which were confined to the ruins of the kitchen. It is almost a miracle that no one lost their life during the explosion. the windows of the entire south side of the building are broken, almost without exception, and the force of the explosion was so great as to break the windows in the Oehlrich store building across the street. The plate glass windows in the rear of the Foster Bros. piano store were broken out and a number of valuable pianos were marred by falling glass. The plastering in the rooms near the scene of the explosion was loosened and doors were blown from their hinges. The explosion was just right to cause the slightest amount of loss of life, as the waitresses were all in the dining room where there were about fifteen guests of the hotel seated at the tables. Had it occurred a few moments later it is more than probably that one or more would have been killed. The guests in the dining room were covered with plastering and were knocked to the floor by the rush of air through the room, but none were injured. The only sufferers were the cook and his wife. Mrs. Hunter was very badly burned about the hands and limbs, and was taken across the street to Pollock's drug store, where all that medical skill could do to relieve her sufferings was done, and was later taken to St. Mary's hospital, where she is resting as easily as can be expected. The Thurston hotel building is owned by George Lehman, and the business is run by Dan E. Peaslee, under lease. The damage to the building is not known at this time, but will amount to several thousand dollars. It is the irony of fate that Mr. and Mrs. Hunter were preparing to leave for South Dakota, and would have been away in a week or so. James O'Brien, the clerk, tells the story of the accident in a very vivid manner. He noticed a few moments before the explosion, that the lights were flickering, and went down into the basement where the gas machine was located, to investigate. He had just gotten to the room where the tanks were when he saw a light near the door to the ceiling, and reached up and turned it off, but too late. As he was in the act of turning it off he saw particles of gas in the room on fire, and concluded that that was no place for him, and called to the house man, who was also in the basement, to get out quick, and turned the corner just as the explosion came. Both men got out without injury, Mr. O'Brien, by way of the basement stairs, and the houseman by means of the cellar way. The houseman says that the lights were not acting right, and that he went down to see what was the matter, but had not done anything to the tank. The building is insured. It will be some time before the damage can be repaired, but it is probably that the hotel will be _____ [bottom of page didn't copy].