The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-06
THE OLD OCCIDENTAL HOTEL.
Chief Hostelry OF Past Times-Along
Yes1er Avenue.

Onl0I hoBtelry Oh East 4iLacS-hAouS
Yes1er Avenue.
The old Occidental, occupying the TRAN
gular lot between Yesler avenue, James
and Second streets, was the hotel of the
city in old times. It was a cemented
brick building, three-stories for the half of
its length, extending from the point on
Pioneer place to Second street, and came
eight feet further west than the
present building. The corner facing
James and Second streets, was occu-
pied by q two-story frame building, the
original Occidental. to which the brick
structure had been added. The end of the
ground floor, fronting on the triangle, was
occupied by the Puget Sound National
bank. Next came the hotel bar, with en-
frances from both sides, and then the ho-
tel lobby, about where Kerskow Bros
drug store now is, also with entrances
from both sides, and with barbershop in
one corner. Beyond this was the general
hall, from which stairs and elevator led to
the upper floors. The old frame two-story
building was set in a jog in the north west
corner of the big brick structure and was
given up to the dining-room and servants
quarters. Opposite the southern entrance,
where it now is, was the Yesler avenue
turntable. The sidewalk on that and
the James street sides of the building has
been raised about six feet, but at the Sec
ond street end has been cut down about
two feet to accord with the new grades of
those streets. 1t was at this hotel that
most of the visitors stopped, and here was
the chief resort of the seekers after news.
Over at the southwest corner of South
Second street was the korn block, three
story brick similar to the one now occupy
ing the site, which was one OF the first brick
buildings completed in the business dis
trict after the fire. Then came a row of
wooden one and two-story buildings
which were Jones' shoe store, the Grotto sa-
loon. and another beer hall or two. At
the corner of Commercial street, occupy
ing half the site of the present Olympic
block, was the Colman block, two stories
high, which was the first brick building
built for rent, its erection having been be-
gun in 1875. It was occupied by the
Northern Pacific ticket Office, Fred f.
Sanders real estate Office, Matt Kelly's
drugstore, and Frasch's grocery. On the
opposite corner was Gardner Kellogg's
drugstore in Yesler's old two-story brick,
with John Miller's justice court on the
second floor. Then came Schwabacher's
big store, L-shaped as is the present build
ing, but with two stories on Commercial
street and four on Yesler avenue. Be-
ween it and the Yesler building on the
Commercial street side was the old Gem
saloon. W hich was bought by the Schwa-
bachers. From this point TO the wharf
was row of one-story buildings used as
beer halls. produce stores, and so on.
Going eastward from South Second street
along Yesler avenue large two-story
frame held the place now filled by the
splendid Seattle National bank, a furniture
store being on the ground floor, and lodg-
ing rooms above. To the east of it was an
old two-story frame lodging-house, known
as the Wisconsin, where the anti-Chinese
and disorderly element Matched their
plots. one-story stores. with an up and
down sidewalk, ran TO the corner Of South
Third, where stood two-story grocery