Author Archives: Dablad1
Main Street
This is a 1909 postcard showing Main St. Durham at the intersection with Corcoran. Much of the historical information for this month and next month comes from opendurham.org, which is nothing less than spectacular with its impressive photos as well as thoroughly researched text. For your convenience you can even find on maps the locations of an incredibly large … Continue reading
Five Points
Five Points was the center of commercial activity during the 1910s and 20s. The flatiron building in the picture housed a drug store until the building burned and was demolished in 1929. To this day, the land remains vacant. The first photo is from 1917, the second was taken in the 1920s and the third is from 1947.
Citizens National Bank
The Citizens National Bank was built in 1911 and is seen here in a photo from the 1930s. Following a merger, it moved to the Hill Building (to be seen next month) in 1970, and the building was convereted to law offices. Unfortunately the arched, multi-panelled windows were replaced with stone. Currently unoccupied.
Bull Durham Plant
The Bull Durham Plant was built in 1874 and remains to this day the oldest building in downtown Durham. American Tobacco ceased operations in 1987, and the facility remained vacant until a three-year renovation began in 2005. Now known as A.T. Campus, it hosts concerts and art exhibits and has numerous restaurants and other mercantile operations. Located next … Continue reading
Hotel Del Coronado
Located on Coronado Island near San Diego, “The Del” is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2013. It was long the playground of the stars in Hollywood’s heyday. It has appeared in numerous movies, the most notable one being Some Like It Hot. Sixteen Presidents have also stayed there. Then photos were taken in 1900.
Multnomah Hotel
The Multnomah Hotel was built in downtown Portland Oregon in 1912. It has seen only nine Presidents but, more importantly, hosted Elvis in 1957. It was used for government offices from 1965 to 1992 when it was purchased and returned to its former grandeur. The hotel is operated by Embassy Suites.
The Stanley Hotel
F.O. Stanley ( inventor of the Stanley Steamer) arrived in Estes Park Colorado in 1903 to recover from TB. He so liked what he saw he built a magnificant hotel which opened on July 4th, 1909. It is the only site known to have scared Stephen King, who later wrote The Shining based on his stay as … Continue reading
Mendocino Hotel
The Mendocino Hotel opened in 1878 as The Temperance House. Mendocino, the picturesque logging town on the northern California coast, then had nineteen saloons and 20,000 people. Today it has a population of 1000 and appears frequently as Cabot Cove in the Murder She Wrote TV series. The early photo is undated.
The New Sheridan Hotel
The original Sheridan Hotel was built in 1895 in Telluride Colorado. Two years later a three-story structure was built just east of it, and that building was called the New Sheridan Hotel. The New Sheridan was the site of William Jennings Bryan “Cross of Gold” speech. In 1906 the original hotel burned and in 1994 ( a mere 86 … Continue reading
Crazy Horse Memorial
Located 46 miles southwest of Rapid City S.D., Crazy Horse Memorial was begun in 1948 by Korczak Zuiolkowski. Everything he needed he carried up 700+ steps to the mountain top. He continued to work on it until his death in 1982 when his wife Ruth and seven of their ten children took over. In spite of … Continue reading