Chapter XVI
Bates House
The first hotel
in Chariton was a two story, double log cabin on the south side of the
square. It was operated by Henry Allen
in the best tradition of approved pioneer days.
Business seems to have flourished because there always had to be two
occupants in each bed. One night in
February 1853, Joseph Braden came to town to open the land office. He was told that only one bed was left and he
might have to share it. He went to bed
and to sleep. About midnight, a man came
up the stairs in the dark making considerable noise and started to run his hand
over the beds to ascertain which one had a place for him. The first two or three were fully occupied
but the lone occupant of the next one had awakened and sat bolt upright just as
one hand reached out and touched his head.
The sleeper instantly dropped back on the pillow just in time for the
explorer’s other hand to reach out and touch his head on the pillow. The disgruntled searcher growled, “Two men in
this bed; two men in every bed here” and promptly stomped down the stairs to
raise a row with the landlord. This
unhappy guest was Dr. Charles Fitch – father of the late Laura Fitch, longtime
teacher in the public schools of this county.
Frank Fitch, an engineer on the Burlington railroad and Dr. Ella Fitch
who followed in her father’s profession.
Even after that, Dr. Fitch referred to Mr. Braden as “the man with two
heads.”
Mr. B. F. Bates built the Bates House and
opened it for business in 1874. It was a
beautiful three story building of 25 rooms and steam heated throughout. It stood on the lots where the National Bank
and Trust Company is now located. From
the beginning it was popular and successful.
(This information is taken from the “dedication issue” of the Chariton
Patriot of May 22, 1894, when the courthouse was dedicated.)
Much of the following is taken from the
journal of Mrs. B. R. Van Dyke, mother of the late Ralph Van Dyke, husband of
Marie Van Dyke, who loaned the journal to this writer. Mr. B. R. Van Dyke, affectionately called “Mr.
Van” by almost everyone who knew him, was secretary at the Eikenberry and
Company Lumber Yard. For some time, he
had wanted a business of his own. Mr.
Bates wanted him to buy the hotel and the deal was made. Mr. Bates agreed to have it painted and
papered throughout. He even made a trip
to Edina, Missouri, to buy feathers for 68 new pillows. He also accompanied Mr. Van Dyke to
Burlington to help in the selection of all new furniture and carpets as the new
owners had decided to refurnish the whole establishment.
Mr. Van Dyke resigned his position at the
lumber yard and things began to hum at the Bates House. He operated the sewing machines as they made
68 new sheets and a like number of pillow cases, pillows and comforters. They bought new dinnerware at Brinsmaids –
the leading china and glassware store in Des Moines at that time. The new hotel-size coal burning kitchen range
and all cooking utensils came from the Guylee and Larimer Store in
Chariton. Came March 15, 1887, and the
hotel was reopened for business. The
whole enterprise had been carefully planned, every department was well
organized and it started off in high gear.
From basement to roof it worked like a well-oiled machine. The cost of meals was 25 cents and 50 cents.
Eighteen trains came through every 24
hours and each passenger train was met day and night. They had a very classy conveyance which they
called a hack, drawn by a span of well-groomed black horses. The name BATES HOUSE was inscribed on both
sides. George Newman was the coachman
and is shown in the picture standing nearest the back.
In later years, Mr. Newman operated a dray
wagon for service to merchants on the square who handled heavy merchandise,
hardware, furniture etc.
The Bates House was no ordinary
hotel. It was avant garde – that is –
ahead of the parade. They had cooks who
knew how to turn out the most delicious food.
The waitresses were also correct in dress and manner. There was one long table of family size for
seating large groups but all the other tables were around to seat four and only
pure linen tablecloths and napkins were used.
Agnes McKinney worked there at one time and speaks glowingly of the
efficient operation and its enviable reputation. The silverware was polished every week
without fail, the oak dining room floor was scrubbed every week besides being
kept immaculate between times; the wall bracket lamps in the dining room as
well as all other lamps throughout the buildings had to be cleaned, refilled
and polished every day; the dinnerware and glassware were always sparkling and
inviting. There was a small room off the
dining room where ice was kept and there was storage for cold foods. One woman, a Mrs. Johnson, had charge of what
they called the “dish room.” Mrs. Van
Dyke had charge of the purchasing and did all the mending of linens. They had a full complement of help for in
that day all work had to be done in the hostel – there was no outside
facilities where work could be sent to be done.
Cooks, laundresses, chamber maids, waitresses, two desk clerks and two
men at the barn – all contributed to the comfort and well being of the
guests. All employees received the same
wages - $4 a week. This seems pitifully
small compared to present day inflationary pay scales, but Agnes McKinney says,
“That was better than now, because we could keep it all and the things we had
to buy were so much less. It was all in
proportion and we had stability.”
It was always a very busy place during
court week. The judges, the non-resident
lawyers, court reporters and other connected with court sessions, always stayed
there. It was the mecca for traveling
salesmen, also. The Depot Hotel was
operating at this time, but it was not as pleasant nor as convenient. It was farther from the passing through
around the clock, on an average, of a train every hour and a half, with all the
attendant noise and disturbances. Also,
traveling salesmen in that day carried trunks of samples. The Bates House had large sample rooms with
tables where goods could be displayed for selection and purchase. Being close to the square, merchants could
come quickly, make their selections, and return to their stores with a minimum
loss of time.
Chariton had no electricity at that time
and Boyd Schotte remembers that when he was four or five-year-old, his father
took him by the hand and they walked down to where the Yocom Park now is to
watch the men working on the new city light plant. This would have been about 1889-90. In front of the Bates House were two post
lamps. George Steinbach remembers that
these burned kerosene as did all other illumination devices of that day.
“There is nothing so permanent as change,”
Madame Swetchine added, “In this world of change, naught which comes, stays and
naught which goes, is lost.” The Bates
House came, served its time, but its impact was not lost. New owners bought it in September of 1912 and
a brilliant quarter century of satisfying social life under the Van Dyke
management passed into memory but will continue to live in the annals of Lucas
county history. It continued to be
efficiently managed for several years but in the speeded up world, the curtain
would inevitably ring down.
Mr. Van Dyke was the ideal host – the
major domo – that is the master of the house.
He was endowed by a nature with the social virtues, a princely mein but
with a warm and winning personality. His
was the kind of leadership that inspired pride and loyalty in his
employees. He was always on hand to
greet his guests, always impeccably dressed and had the rare gift of putting
everyone at east and feeling at home.
Men were required to wear their coats in the dining room. The Bates House had “atmosphere.” You didn’t just eat there – you dined
there. You could even leave home and
like it if you could stay there. Through
all their years, they had many regular boarders, among them over the years were
Frank Crocker, a director and manager of the National Bank and Trust Company,
Mr. William Eikenberry, Clyde Pickerell, Frank and Len Manning and many, many
others. There were always great crowds
for Sunday dinner and that was at a time when “dining out” was not as common as
it is today.
Mrs. Harold Leonard remembers in her
childhood when the family dined there on Sunday and that was a kind of high
mark for the week.
The Van Dykes moved into an apartment in
the Piper building. The September 7th
entry in Mrs. Van Dyke’s journal reveals this bit of motherly devotion. “This is Ralph’s 25th birthday. We
are going to have him and Marie and granddaughter Ruth to supper with us this
evening. It will be the first meal Ralph
has ever had of his mother’s cooking. I
am fixing as many things as I can by myself so that it will be my own cooking.”
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One further paragraph in the colorful life
of the Bates House. In 1916, during
President Woodrow Wilson’s administration, vice president, Thomas G. Marshall
and Mrs. Marshall came through this part of the state on a political tour and
Chariton was one of the stops. They were
met at the train by Mayor H. G. Larimer and Chairman Frank Smith and a host of
people. There were two conveyances – one
for the Vice President and the gentlemen of the reception committee and the
other for Mrs. Marshall and the ladies of the committee.
All the buildings around the square were
decorated in the colors. From the
Chariton Leader of Oct. 12, 1916, we have the following: “The Chariton band
stood ready with instruments, poised and at the proper time the melodies of
patriotism began to permeate the evening air and the splendid procession began
to move, following the music. The red,
white and blue electric globes sparkled under the bright stars like a canopy of
glory as the procession passed beneath and after parading the near city, the
guests were taken to the Bates House where they were entertained during their
stay in the city. Everything was in
perfect order for the occasion. Landlord
Welker had made a special effort to have everything in guest shape and the
service appointments were without blemish.
Nothing was left undone either attractive to the eye or for
comfort. The tables were models of
arrangement and the American Beauty roses lent enchantment to the fine menu.”
An open air meeting had been planned for
the large crowd to hear the Vice President but he had spoken at Ottumwa and
preferred not to speak again in the open air that day. The Armory was filled and hundreds turned
away. The Marshalls were highly pleased
to visit Iowa and to have received such a warm and friendly reception from
citizens of Lucas County.
Pages 64-68
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