This postcard is from 1914. Courtesy of Christopher Peal.

The cigars sign hangs outside of the Manufacturers Hotel. This is a view of Third Avenue looking east from 16th Street to 17th Street. Courtesy of Christopher Peal.

Inside the cafe at the Manufacturer's Hotel. Courtesy of Christopher Peal.

Inside the cafe at the Manufacturer's Hotel, circa 1906. Courtesy of Christopher Peal.

In 1902 the Manufacturers Hotel association was organized, its members consisting primarily of Moline industrialists. The association issued bonds in the sum of $65,000 and members made other money available. The Manufacturers Hotel was the successor to the Keator House, which was built on that site in 1879 and was to that point the leading hotel in the city. In fact, the Manufacturers Hotel was not new construction, but a remodel of the Keator House. The new hotel, including fixtures, was constructed at an estimated cost of between $100,000 and $150,000.

The lobby and rotunda were completed in marble, with leather furnishings. There was a phone in each of the 70 rooms, of which sixty-four of them had "bath privileges—steam heat, hot and cold water, etc." According to the Dispatch, "One of Moline's longest and most severly felt wants is filled. The city has a first class hotel. In fact, it has the leading hotel of the three cities, and one superior it will be hard to find anywhere in the state."

Further ammenities included "Elegant parlors—with smoking and dining rooms so that all may be thrown into one—Luxury everywhere." Said the hotel's manager, Mr. Leavens: "We will aim to make it the brightest home in the west for commercial men and the traveling public."

The grand opening, June 11, 1903, included hundreds of guests and featured a special 27 item menu in the restaurant. Deere & Company president Charles Deere was the first to sign the guest register, followed by the directors of the hotel association: C.H. Pope, H.W. Cooper, C.A. Barnard, W.A. Rosenfield, F.W. Gold, and John W. Good.

Dispatch, June 6, 1950.

Return to Hotel and Restaurant Index.
Return to Downtown Index.
Return to the Map.