FQM Royal Article & Denison Hotel

I recently had an article published in the online French Quarter Magazine (May 1, 2023) on the late Queen Elizabeth II's warm relationship with France. The article surveys the Queen's sincere passion for the French language, culture, and people during her 70-year reign; the former British monarch harbored an interest in France since she was a young girl, where she learned to speak French and had the opportunity to meet prominent French elected officials and military generals. That relationship flourished through state visits, royal banquets, military parades, and political meetings over seven decades. This was my second article on the late Queen; the first was about Her Majesty's legacy in Texas and published in the North Texas e-News. I thoroughly enjoyed writing both of them, as a historian and a proud monarchist. Again, I give praise to my fantastic editor, Isabelle Karamooz, who consistently supports my writing endeavors. I would recommend reading this article in preparation for King Charles III's coronation on May 6, 2023!

"Vive la Reine!": The Queen's Legacy in France article link (enjoy reading!)

His Majesty King Charles III was the longest serving heir apparent in British history (since his mother HM Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne for over 70 years). The king will be crowned in Westminister Abbey on Saturday, May 6. God save the King! Author's Collections.

My wife and I recently visited my sister in Sherman. On the way back home, we swerved off course towards Denison, Sherman's little sister city in North Texas. Denison has a fascinating history - including being the birthplace of WWII hero and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. One of the old Denison buildings that has a rich history is the old Denison Hotel, one of the tallest buildings in the region. The hotel was built by local businessman Howard Murray Smith in 1884, and was often regarded as "one of the finest hotels in the region," according to critics. Every room on ten floors had luxury furniture that was manufactured in Texas factories, and the grand lobby had a cigar lounge and a dignified dining room. An elevator was added to the facility in 1910 to accommodate the large amount of guests that stayed in the city during the early years of the Progressive Era. Guests at the hotel also enjoyed reading volumes by William Shakespeare and Mark Twain at the hotel's stocked library, located on the second floor. The wealthiest guests rolled around in the splendors of the penthouse suite on the top floor, complete with a balcony and splendid views of the North Texas/Oklahoma countryside.

The front of the Denison Hotel featured a grand entrance. Today, the facility (which cost $400,000 after the disastrous 1920s fire) is abandoned -  the lobby is empty and windows appear to have been smashed. Author's Collections.

On the evening of September 23, 1927, the Young family from New York was getting ready for dinner in their suite when a fire broke out in the empty room above. The embroidered ceiling collapsed without warning, killing all five members of the Young family and a maid. The city's fire department was unable to control the high-rise building fire, and the flames were soon out of control. The dining room's ceiling collapsed, killing many people. At the end of the fire, when the embers glowed and an eerily silence fell on the hotel, officials inspected the damage. The damage was extensive - the interior was destroyed and only the exterior brick remained. After a period of mourning, a group of local businessmen who were upset that the city had no other hotel, including W.E. and Arthur Simpson and Joe M. Crumpton, sold over $200,000 worth of bonds to rebuild the hotel. The new facility was magnificent, a product of the 1920s economic boom. The Great Houdini, a revered Hungarian stunt performer, said the new incarnation of the Denison Hotel was the. "most elegant hotel between Dallas and Kansas City." Room rates began at $2 and ran up to $3.50, and more than 60,000 guests signed the hotel's register every year in the late 1920s and 1940s (there was a dip in hotel stays during the 1930s Great Depression).

The fire escape at the back of the Denison Hotel - it does not look very safe... Author's Collections.

Famous guests at the Denison Hotel included celebrated country singer Roy Rogers, actress Rosemary Clooney and famed Puerto Rican. Jose Ferrer on their honeymoon, and longtime Congressman and North Texas benefactor Sam Rayburn. In October 1948, the Denison Hotel Company President T.J. Long sold the locally-owned hotel to the Alsonett Hotel Company. As the number of large hotel corporations drastically grew in the Cold War years, the traffic at the Denison Hotel gradually drained... some locals recalled to have seen ghosts in the lobby and rooms because the spaces were so empty. According to local records, the hotel suites were renovated to one and two-bedroom apartments sometime between 1997 and 2014. I am not sure when the Denison Hotel facility closed, yet the building appeared abandoned and worn-out when my wife and I took photographs in spring 2023. Despite its rough shape today, the Denison Hotel building continues to stand tall as a proud, significant symbol of Denison's colorful history. 

Research is from the Denison City Archives and Vintage History Profile (digital resources).

The Denison Hotel Lobby appeared to be abandoned when my wife and I swung by the City of Denison in spring 2023 - note the checkered floor, ornate front desk, and the dining room in the background. In the later days of the hotel when rooms were frequently vacant, some locals believed they saw various ghosts of the guests who died during the1920s fire, including maids walking the upstairs halls, children playing cards in the dining room, moustached men smoking in the cigar lounge, and Emily Young on the balcony of her family's suite overlooking Denison prior to the fire. Author's Collections.