The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-01
Wholesale Grocery Company Acquires
Property at Third and johnson
Streets and Begins Wreck
ing Building.
PLANS NOT READY YET
What VIII be Done In Future Officials
Of Company Unable to say-Ho-
tel Was Built in 1856 and
1857.

HISTORY OF OLD HOTEL kEokuk
1856-Work commenced on hotel
built by o. Reddinoton.
1857-hotel completed at cost oil
$4,000 Opened az leighton House.
1s60-6uiIdins purchased by Col
VIM. Patterson.
18S2-Captain Ball takes possession
as military necessity and conducts
same A. hospital to close OF war.
1s66-Tepfer House.
1872-Patterson House.
1890-Hotel keokuk.
1915-Abandoned as hotel.
.1s2o-6uildins RACED.
The old Hotel Keokuk property sit
uated at Third and johnson streets
has been purchased by S. Hamill Com
pany. Negotiations for the purchase
lof the building and lot have practical
i ~ been completed. The trustees have
lsigned the deed, although it has not
been filed as yet. The S. Hamill Com
pany have closed contract for the
razing of the structure, and work was
begun today wrecking TIE building.
Just what the company's plans are
for the future l. A. Hamill was not
able today to say. The company may
build on the site purchased but it will
not be for the present, according to
Mr.. Hamill. I'VE will tear the build
ing down to its foundation" he said.
AS to what our future plans are l
cannot say at this time"
The contracts have been closed for
the work Of razing the old building,
and workmen were on the job this
&,I- ~,,%
timbers and brick. The building has
was threatened by incendiary fire only
last September.
The Hotel Keokuk was built in 1856
and 81 by D. Reddington, capitalist,
and one time newspaper man in Keo-
klk, at the cost of $4,000. 1t was
first called the Leighton House and
later this name was changed to the
Tepfer House, then the Patterson
House and finally the Hotel keokuk.
Used as Hospital.
Col. William Patterson bought the
building in 1850 and Henry Tepfer
came from Mt. Pleasant and conduct
ed it as the Tepfer House for short
time. In 1862 Captain Ball took pos
session of the building as military
necessity and it was in use as hos
pital to the end of the war.
W. A. and Joseph Patterson were
the proprietors Of the Patterson
House from December, 1869 to about
1880 The name was changed in 1872
to the Patterson House and about 1880
to the present name.
William Leighton was mayor in
1859 and it probably was named in
his honor 1t was known as the Leigh
its Later History.
Hutchinson and Abel and then c.
S. Abel had the management OF the
hotel after it became the Hotel Kec
kuk. They preceded the Christian
and Hedrick management of the ho-
tel. After the Hotel Iowa was built,
Christian and Hedrick retired from
the field. The hotel was vacant for
a few months and then F. M. Bateman
leased it and operated 1t for short
time. He gave this up in 1915 AID II
has since been vacant.
February -, 1919 thieves stole the
m otor from the elevator and set fire
to the building. The blaze was ex-
tinguished before it had much chance
to do a great deal of damage. Sep
TENDER 3, it was set fire again, but
the department checked the blaze
with small loss.
For a number Of years the property
has been owned by a company OF keo-
k,lk men, from whom the Hamlils
made the purchase.