The Hotel Hoquiam was born out of a grand vision for a burgeoning town in the Pacific Northwest. Built in 1889-90 during Hoquiam’s boom days in connection with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway, the hotel was designed to serve as a resort impressing dignitaries and supporting local economy. Over time, it became a hub for grand banquets, elegant gatherings and high-stakes gambling. But its fortunes waned and it ultimately met a tragic end in a devastating fire in 1910.
Why Was the Hotel Hoquiam Built?
“Given the immense size of the hotel,” says John Larson, director of the Polson Museum in Hoquiam, “it is clear that its builders had high hopes for the rapid growth of Hoquiam as they were anticipating the construction of a railroad to the town, and with it, wealthy business-oriented travelers who would demand first class hotel accommodations.”
Funded by local capitalists, Hotel Hoquiam stood on the south end of the town’s business district framed by 7th and 8th streets. A building committee, which included George H. Emerson and F.G. Deckenbaugh, planned for a $15,000 construction budget. However, by the time it was completed, costs had soared to $80,000. The four-story structure adorned with turrets was furnished with the finest available hard woods, furniture and equipment.
“When the hotel was in operation,” shares Larson, “the tidally influenced shore of Grays Harbor was practically at the doorstep of the hotel. Guests would have seen up close the shorebirds and waterfowl so prevalent on these marshlands. Guests also would have heard a near constant hum coming from the North Western Lumber Company located a few blocks east whose saws and planers (woodworking machines) were always part of Hoquiam’s background noise.”
The hotel was considered one of the best in southwestern Washington and was the scene of many big gatherings. Patrons enjoyed balls in the dining room and “wine flowed like water” in the saloon, says Larson. Gaming tables captivated as people risked their fortunes against chance.
But Hotel Hoquiam’s prosperity would be fleeting. When the economic boom collapsed, creditors closed its doors rendering the hotel an ill-fated investment.
Hotel Hoquiam Fire
Reported in a July 22, 1910, article in the Grays Harbor Daily Washingtonian, Hotel Hoquiam stood as one of the most popular “travelling houses in the Northwest until it was passed into the hands of a receivership under Harry C. Heermans and associates.” When Heermans and other investors purchased the building, the furniture was sold and shipped away. The hotel was repurposed into an apartment building—a mere shadow of its former self.
Disaster struck July 21, 1910, at about 1:15 a.m. when a fire broke out in the hotel and quickly engulfed the massive wooden structure. As residents fled, two men were severely injured leaping from windows to escape the inferno while firemen were driven back from the heat. A change in wind direction would keep the fire from completely destroying Hoquiam’s business district. The Washingtonian reported on July 22, 1910, the “walls of the hotel were falling into the blackened heap of ashes and junk, the chimneys were toppling, and the spectators were driven back.”
Mary Olson, 77, and C.M. Junett tragically lost their lives. “I guess mother’s gone,” said Charles Olson to the Washingtonian as he “gazed at the smoking ruins of what had been their home.” Junett, a lineman for the telephone company, had a wife and son in Tacoma, who later transported his remains for burial.
Speculation arose about the fire’s cause, according to notes from Polson. It was thought the fire was deliberately started by F.A. Schwabe, a professor and resident of the hotel. Schwabe was intoxicated when he returned home that night, and when his wife would not let him enter, it is speculated he went down into the basement where he started the blaze. Police questioned Schwabe in custody, but he gave conflicting stories. Meanwhile, Schwabe’s wife had moved to Seattle to pursue a divorce. However, the Aberdeen Herald reported on July 28, 1910, that she returned to Hoquiam to stand by her husband, as she believed in his innocence. The story also discusses the surveillance Schwabe was under and said it was “openly charged that he might have been implicated in the burning of the hotel. He was arrested and has since disappeared.”
After a formal investigation, the Aberdeen Herald reports on July 28, 1910, that defective wiring caused the fire. The inquest revealed a failure to erect fire escapes despite ordinances and repeated orders requiring them.
In the month following the fire, there was a rush to erect fire escapes in Hoquiam and Aberdeen. On July 29, 1910, the Washington Standard asserts Schwabe committed suicide. Schwabe’s body was later discovered in the bay near Aberdeen in such poor condition that he was identified by mail in his clothing and the ring on his finger.
Hotel Hoquiam Lefts Its Mark on Grays Harbor History
The tragic demise of the Hotel Hoquiam marked the end of an era for the City of Hoquiam, serving as both a cautionary tale and a catalyst for change. Once a grand beacon of Hoquiam’s early ambitions, the hotel’s fate reflected the changing nature of the economic boom and the perils of inadequate safety regulations. “As the town’s most prominent and ambitious non-industrial commercial structure built and opened just as the town was officially incorporating,” shares Larson, “the hotel represents the very birth of Hoquiam itself.”
