The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1923-01-04
Over Two Hundred Citizens
Enjoy Fine Program and
Dinner Arranged by the
Commercial Club.


Realizing the prayers, hopes, wishes
and ~longings of over forty years for a
high class hotel, over two hundred
of the prominent citizens Of Brook
ings gave expression to their appre.
citation by a banquet and christening
ceremony Tuesday evening at the new
has passed into history and in its
place stands a beautiful, modern
structure of 80 rooms, all equipped
with hot and cold running water, fur.
nished with furniture that would grace
any home, equipped with baths, writ.
ing rooms, parlors, richly furnished
lobby, banquet room and dining room
and all other features of a modern
hotel. Previous to the banquet al
1880 the guests inspected the hotel
from top to bottom.
The banquet tables were set in both
dining rooms and were beautifully
decorated with flowers making as
pretty a scene as ever produced in
dily udil III tllc Clly. II ltoCll
was just as excellent. Music during
the meal was furnished by a special
orchestra from State college with
Prof. w. A. Peterson at the piano and
Prof. Carl Christensen at the violin
and directing. 1t would be hard to
find an orchestra of equal quality and
talent in the state.
Without detracting in any way from
the %worthiness of any other feature
on the program, it can only be said
that the biggest hit Of the evening
was the male quartet composed Of H,
l.. Kohler, Lawrence Olson, Gerhard
sang several numbers and introduced
each speaker with an original ditty
composed with especial appropriate
ness. Each appearance Of the quar-
tet brought vociferous applause.
Geo. P. Sexauer, president Of the
Commercial Club, was the postmaster
of the evening and carried the pro
gram through in excellent style, draw
ing occasionally to good advantage
from his large stock Of humorous
stories. The first speaker on the pro
gram was w. M. Cheever who had the
interesting subject, "~Brookings' Hotels
Past and Present" The first hotel in
Brookings which was built over forty
years ago was the Brookings House,
which stood neal the site Of Heintz
hardware store. Mr.. Cheever ate his
first dinner in Brookings at this hotel
when he arrived with his father, July
10, 1888, baked buffalo fish being the
main feature on the menu. This first
hotel was built and operated by Bill
Allison. The second hotel to be con
structed in Brookings was the Com
mercial hotel, built by Nels Grinols
Three other hotels soon followed, the
Farmers hotel which was located
where Kendall's store now stands
the No~' Western, which is now
known DIS the Cottage hotel, and the
Jordan House which stood on the site
of the present Hotel Dudley. Inter
esting "reminiscences concerning these
hotels in the early days were told by
Mr.. Cheever, most Of them being very
amusing. Incidents in the troubled
lives of pa" and MA" Jordan were
related along with some classics OF
"Conk" Conklin's reign at the Leor
hotel which succeeded the Jordan
House.
DR.. A. w. Hyde, the next speaker
eulogized the proprietor of the new
hotel, w. S. Dudley, praising his abil
ity as an economist, his fine charac
ter and the good service and accom-
mediation which he gave his guests
His topic was Our Opportunities a.
a Tourist and Trade Center" HI
spoke Of the tremendous advantage
which a good hotel gave TO a city
B%rookings is becoming a leading cit!
of the state. 1t is already the lead
ing educational city in the state, ant
the new hotel is adding much to th'
prominence Of Bookings.
The christening of the Hotel Dude.
fell upon Mayor T. /. Flittie, who ad
mitted his inexperience in matters o
this kind, nevertheless he made a yer,
happy task of it, his talk being n o
the brightest spots on the program
He urged the citizenry to support tn
new hotel by generous patronage AM
further urged that all Brookings in
dustries and trades be ~patronized s.
that the growth Of the city may b.
continued to the greatest extent.
DR.. w. E. Johnson, president o
State college, had the rather slang,
topic, How Hotel Dudley Appear
and Appeals to Prexy." The new he
tel means a lot to State college sine
1t affords a means of entertaining it
large number of distinguished guest
in manner fitting their station, an
because 1t can accommodate gathe;
ings and delegates. to convention
-Aszl A---,,2~, ~~4 - AA~ nn1vAD<