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Garden City's most prominent landmark. |
The Windsor Hotel
The Windsor Hotel was built in 1887 by John Stevens. The cost to build the Windsor Hotel was $75.000 to $100.000. The hotel was made of native rock called Brick Kilned from a local brick company. The hotel contained 125 rooms, and only one bath in the whole hotel! The bathroom was located on the third floor in the owner's suite.
The Windsor Hotel was the biggest hotel between Kansas City and Denver. It was taller than the city water tower back in the 1800's. A bellboy would get your towels, soap, and unlock the door for a quarter. Some of the famous celebrities that stayed at the Windsor Hotel were Lillian Russell and Buffalo Bill Cody. The Windsor was the meeting place of our town. "It's spacious corridors and spindled patios were constantly thronged with booted and spurred cowmen. Cattle deals amounting to millions of dollars have been transacted over the long table in the great inner court."
The Windsor had several improvements after being opened. John Stevens lost the hotel in 1895. The hotel then past through several hands. The electric lights were installed in 1898. The first telephone in the city of Garden City was put in the Windsor in 1900. In 1906 the Windsor tried to change it's name to the Wiley but the name never caught on. Finally, a new elevator was installed in 1916.
In the 1900's, the Windsor Hotel was Garden City's most prominent landmark. Even today the Windsor Hotel is still known throughout western Kansas. The Great Depression brought hard times for almost all businesses, including the Windsor Hotel. In 1977, the Windsor Hotel went bankrupt. Five years after closing in the spring of 1977, the Windsor Hotel made the National of Historical Places list. In 1997 efforts were made to raise money to restore the historical landmark.
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An Auto Meet on Main Street in 1907 |