Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-02
FAMILY or HOTEL KEEPERS,
AN EARLY VERMONT BONlFACE AND
HIS NUMEROUS DESCENDANTS.
The Leland Family Have Kept Some OF
tho Most Famous Hosteiries In tho
United statos-A Host of
MIne Hosts.

contain another race of hotel keepers such
as the Lelands. From the day that Simeon
Leland, ST., opened the Chester Tavern at
Chester, VT, in 1878, down to the present
time, when his grandsons and great
grandsons are catering to the American
public, the name has become widespread
and we'll known from Maine to California,
and from New York State to Florida. Tho
Lelands have been proprietors and man
ayers Of some of the most famous hotels
in the country, and to the travelling pub
lie the name of Leland has become the
synonym of good-cheer.
Visitors to New York early as 1852
found the Lelands in charge of the Metro
politan hotel At that time 1t was the
most fashionable hostelry in that city, and
the resort of the elite of this country as
of Europe. The thousands who went to
the centennial exposition at Philadelphia
I'm 1876 found a member of the Leland fami-
ly running a large hotel there, and again
at Chicago the Lelands had several of
the largest hotels in that city Those who
journeyed South found another Leland, a
grandson Of old Simeon Leland, In charge
OF the Kimball House. The famous Occi-
dental hotel at San Francisco, one of the
finest and most famous hotels on the Paci"
hc slope, had Lewis Leland for its mana
ger for n number of years The Window
hotel In Jacksonville has been taken UNI
der the Leland wing this winter, and next
summer visitors to New York will again
find the Lelands there at the Windsor
hotel.
A CHAIN OF HOTELS.
At one time. the Lelands had chain of
hotels stretching across the continent
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 1t be-
gan with the Metropolitan hotel in New
York city, then the Delevan at Albany,
the Clarendon Grand Union. and Column
bian at Saratoga the Leland at Spring
field. H.. the Occidental and the Portland
hotel, at Portland, Ore. All of them were
magnificent structures, and they gave en-
ployment to small army of men and wo-
men for their operation. An estimate puts
the figures at nearly $500
The Leland family tree, embracing three
generations is as follows. First genera
ton, Simeon. Second generation, his sons.
Simeon, jr., Aaron, Charles William w,
and Warren Third generation, Lewis,
Warren, F. Charles E.. George, Jerome,
and Horace, six sons of Aaron, of whom
only the three first named are living; Fred,
who is associated with his cousins. Lewis
and Warren F.. in Florida, the son of
Simeon. jr., and Warren, jr. son of War
rem, and cousin of the Jacksonville Lee
lands
Lewis Leland, brother OF Warren F. Lee
LAM was asked a few days ago to give a
liz. of the hotels with which the Lelands
have been connected since Grandfather"
Leland first opened the Chester Tavern.
COMPLETE LIST OF HOUSES.
A complete list has never been publish
ed before. 1t shows that Simeon Leland,
sr., owned and kept the Chester Tavern,
and the Green Mountain Coffee House, at
Landgrove, VT. The Peru Inn at Peru at
Peru, VT, was owned and kept by his
brother Alexander Leland. Simeon Le-
land. jr.. bought the lease and furniture
Of the Clinton hotel. on Beekman street,
New York. In 1916. and kept 1t until 1851, at
which time he sold it to his brothers,
Charles and Warren.
Simeon, William. Charles, and Warren
Leland leased and opened the Metropoli-
tan hotel in New York in September, 1882
The Metropolitan was new era In hotel-
keeping. Up to that time meals in hotels
were served at stated hours, but the Le-
lands made an innovation at the Metro
politan, and they served meals from In
the morning until after midnight
The Metropolitan hotel was elegantly
furnished, costing $500, 900. and the solid
silver with which It was supplied cost s5O,-
900 more. Plated silverware was not
known in those days. The Metropolitan
was also the first hotel in New York to
furnish music for its patrons during the
dinner hour, and for hops in the evening
Among It's guests were numbered such
prominent people as Presidents Buchanan,
Franklin, Pierce Tyler. Abraham Lin
coin, Garfield. and Grant, Senators Sam
Houston of Texas, Lewis Cass of Michi-
gan. Conkling, James G. Blaine, Gems.
Grant, Sheridan, Sherman, Meade, Win
field Scott, Schofeld and Crook Admirals
Meade, Porter, and FarraSut jefferson
Davis, Gen. Robert Il. Lee, Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee, Gen. Magruder, Gen. George h.
Mcclellan, Alexander Stephens. Robert
Toombs, and host OF other men of promi-
hence at that time In fact, 1t was the
headquarters of the army and navy Of
fcials residing In and visiting New York.
as wen as the leading journalists and
prominent men Of the United States.
SOME MORE HOTELS.
Continuing along the years, the st. JUL
len hotel in New York Is found to have
been kept by W. w. Leland. the Sturte-
want House by Lewis, George and Horace
Leland. the st. Charles hotsl BY George
and Lewis Leland, the West Chester hotel
by william and Jerome Leland. and tho
Delevan House at Albany by Charles Il.
and Warren f. Leland
The Clarendon hotel at Saratoga Springs
was opened and kept by Charles r. Lee
land, the Columbian hotel by jerome w.
Leland, and the Grand Union hotel by
Warren and Charles Leland. Warren Lc-
land lief. his monument In this hotel, II
being one OF the largest and best arranged
summer hotels In the United States The
hotel was planned and built by Warren
Leland ST. The Grand Central hotel at
Saratoga was kept by Major W. W. Le-
land and the Ocean House at Long Branch
was kept and owned by Warren, Charles,
and Warren Leland, jr. The Metropolitan
hotel at Long Branch was kept during the
season of 80 by Lewis Leland, and during
the season OF 80 Lewis and Warren Lc-
land, jr., kept the Ocean House at Long
Branch
WORLDS FAIR HOTELS.
The Leland Hotel at Syracuse, N. Y.
was kept by Warren Leland, jr., and V. D.
Leland is now running the Leland Hotel at
White Plains, N. Y. The Hotel Portland
at Chicago was managed by Lewis Leland
during the worlds fair, and the Ingram
hotel by Warren Leland, jr, during the
same time. The Worlds Inn, large
hotel, accommodating 900 people, was
managed by Charles Il. Leland during the
same time. Lelands hotel at Chicago
was owned and kept by Warren f. Leland
and no sold 1t just before the worlds fair
The Chicago Beach hotel was planned
built, and furnished under his direction
He was the architect, builder. furnisher
and manager, and It was q model In ar
rangement and architectural beauty
This hotel had 450 employees, and cleared
in four and one-half months the enormous
sum of S240, 000-the largest net profits evel
reached in the history Of hotel keeping
Tho Portland Hotel at Portland, Ore.
was managed by Charles e. Leland. The
Occidental hotel at San Francisco wa.
opened In 1862 by Lewis Leland. The
Palace hotel at San Francisco was planned
furnished and opened by Warren Leland
Sr. The Utah House, Baltimore, wa:
kept by Major w. w. Leland, who alst
v~ka hota nj ot oIaI