of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, page 302
HOTEL WEBSTER, NOW HOTEL GRAND. On the southwest corner of Second and Cedar streets stood a two-story brick house, erected in 1842-3. There was a wooden building in the rear that was erected some two years earlier. The brick structure was built by Thomas Johnson (called Big Dog Jim while he was United States marshal 0£ Iowa). This property finally drifted into the possession of Colonel T. M. Isett and later it passed into the hands of Jacob Oppenheimer until W. W. Webster purchased it. These buildings were removed by Mr. Webster in 1877, who commenced the building of a business block on the corner. This building was three stories in height, having six large granite columns in the front. This he used as a monument, show room and work shop, that is, the ground floor and the upper floors were used as a drill and dance hall and by Company C for a drill room. In 1883 the building was remodeled and converted into a hotel, being opened as the Hotel Webster. To produce this result a donation 0£ $6,000 was made to Mr. Webster by the citizens. It was the handsomest building in the town and became at once the leading hotel. It was opened March 5, 1884, under the management of Arnold Barber, who had several successors as landlords until Dr. E. B. Fulliam became its owner, when he changed the name to Hotel Best. This continued until 1897, when J. G. Dermedy, the present proprietor, obtained possession and gave the hostelry the name of Hotel Grand. Previous to this the building had been remodeled by a three-story addition 40X60 feet, being built to the rear of it. In 1909 Mr. Dermedy obtained the title to the building and in 1910 remodeled it to meet with the tastes of his patrons. These changes cost Mr. Dermedy probably $15,000.
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