Commercial House, Burnett House hotel Cawker City, KS 1878-1888

The Commercial House and Burnett House Hotel 1878-1888.

 

Conrad Arnoldy began construction of the Commercial House Hotel in November of 1878. About Three months later it opened its doors to guests which usually numbered over 30 each day. By March 1879, construction began on a the south addition which almost doubled its size and was finished by the time a baby girl made it's appearance in the Arnoldy family. This new addition contained a large dining hall with sleeping rooms on the second floor and a complete cellar below. In contrast to the original gabled structure on the north, the new addition had a square front, flat tin roof and featured faux grained woodwork. A porch across the front unmistakably tied the two buildings together and a large "Commercial Hotel." sign was conspicuously placed atop the roof. In all, the hotel contained 25 sleeping room upstairs and 6 or 8 large rooms below. It was billed as the best Dollar-A-Day hotel in town. The dining hall was run as a saloon and featured billiards and Anhauser Beer on tap for 5 cents a glass. This lively room was constantly being re-arranged to suit its clientele; a reed organ was purchased, a landscape scene painted on the wall, a performance platform constructed, decorative screens of various materials installed, and the bar migrated from the rear of the room to the front. The saloon was run by Snyder and Frank Crossen until the latter sold out.

 

The hotel was rented for a short time by S. R. Edelblute before Arnoldy sold it to William Q. Bartlett and George G. Bartlett September 23, 1880. Unfortunately six months later, on March 31, 1881, William died at age 26 and was laid to rest in Prairie Grove Cemetery. Charles M. VanPatten and Billy M. Smith took charge of the hotel and braced for the changes to come with the implementation of Prohibition on May 1, 1881. George eventually bought out Williams' half of the partnership from his wife, Barbara, in Illinois for $1,400.00 and took back control of the business.

 

The Free Press newspaper was located directly opposite the hotel in a frame building. On a slow news day, Stephen DeYoung makes the following observation about the hotel:

 

"The first thing that generally meets

our gaze is the golden lettered sign of the

top cornices of the Commercial House on

which is announced, "Deutch Heimath."

Now it has always been a dark and unfathom-

able mystery to us what "Deutche Heimath"

ment to plain United States language. Maybe

it means that the hash dished up there is

guaranteed to contain no peculiar looking

ingredients, or perhaps it assures the weary

traveler that the bed bugs have poor appe-

tites and are perfectly docile. Be that as it

may, it certainly means nothing that could

be converted into a news item..."

 

In April of 1882, J. S. Johnston of Beloit rented the hotel. Among the changes he made was to add a soda fountain and to employ Charlie Witham as clerk, who on the occasion, made merry use of his violin. Other staff positions were not as easily filled. A want ad for "two good girls" to do general housecleaning work at $2.50 a week went unanswered for months.

 

At a time when meals at the hotel cost 25 cents, the Free Press Editor made another amusing observation that can only be attributed to this establishment:

 

"There is a sign in large black letters

hanging up conspicuously in the office of

one of our popular hotels,* which strikes

the gaze of the hungry wayfarer as the most

conspicuous object in the room, and if he is

hungry and has not the wherewithal to pay

for a square meal, he will very naturally

turn back and not try to bilk that landlord.

The sign reads "This is Pay Day and don't

you forget it!" Fearful and ominous

words! suggestive of pistols and coffins."

 

On September 9, 1884, William and his wife Ellen M. Bartlett sell the Commercial House to Soltan V. Brownell and his wife Caroline. They change the name of the hotel to The Burnett House and add a stone kitchen to the rear of the structure. The Public Record provides the following description:

 

"Among other improvements it is as well

to note that Cawker now boasts of another

first class hotel. The old Commercial

House, having been bought by S. V. Brown-

ell, has undergone a complete transformation

the whole interior having been entirely re-

modeled. In the north end is a spacious

office, writing and reading room and wash

room; the ladies' parlor occupies the front of

the south end, back of which is a large din-

ing room, and still back of the latter, a large

stone kitchen just built. On the second

floor are seventeen bedrooms, all neatly and

handsomely furnished with new furniture

from the store of Geo. Tuthill. Outside

stairs from the second story in the rear, make

it convenient so that access to that floor is

had from either end of the building. The

house ins now open for guests and a private

bus is at their disposal. J. W. Travis is gen-

eral superintendent. Mr. Brownell is a life

long hotel man and knows how to keep a

first class house."

 

The Hotel changed hands one last time on April 24, 1886 to Newton and Louisa Thayer. Tragedy strikes on the evening of December 26, 1888 when fire breaks out and the building burns to the ground:

 

"About half past eight Wednesday ev-

ening, the startling alarm of the fire hurried

the Cawker people to their doors and

windows and as the thick black column

of smoke burst from the roof, the cry

"The Burnett House is on fire" rang

through the city while the people hur-

riedly gathered at the scene of fiery de-

struction. The lower floors of the ho-

tel were quickly cleared of all the mov-

able furniture and everything saved

that could be. The people then turned

their attention to the other buildings

in danger, a small one on the left and

the massive Whitney House to the

right. By hard and willing work, the

boys saved them both. The Whitney

House being a three story building

with dormer windows at the top which

afforded several inaccessible nooks and

corners that the fire captured and burned

most tenaciously, and was only subdued

by the untiring efforts of the men who

worked hard and well to save the prop-

erty of their fellow citizens.

The loss on the Burnett is estimated

at $6,000; insurance, $4,500. The Whit-

ney was injured about $500, but no insur-

ance.

The Burnett was erected ten years

ago, and was owned by M. Thayer. The

Whitney is owned by Kelley & Thorp.

 

Card of Thanks

We desire to publicly express our

thanks to the whole community for the

almost superhuman efforts made in

saving the Whitney House from destruc-

tion by the late fire. Language fails to

express our full degree of gratitude, but

we acknowledge ourselves under obliga-

tion it will take a long time to repay.

Very Respectfully

KELLY & THORP.

The Cawker City Hesperian Historical Society

All Rights Reserved

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