Stage Lines, Saloons and Construction
Stage Lines, Saloons and Construction, Rand Street 1897.
The prominent two story building with the crowd in front is the St. Elmo Hotel. It was also the office of one of the stage lines. The crowd is awaiting the arrival of the stage from Mojave or Kramer. John Crawford came to Randsburg during the summer of 1896. He was a Kern County Deputy Sheriff and came with Sheriff Cy Droilluard who was one of his partners in the St. Elmo Mine located near present day Atolia. John built a saloon and hotel in Randsburg but could not manage both so he sold out the hotel to Henderson and Roach sometime prior to November of 1896. Herbert Rogers and a Captain Thomas purchased the St. Elmo Hotel in January 1897. Realizing that the men coming to camp at that time wanted better accommodations they immediately let a contract for a new two-story hotel to be built on the same site as the current St. Elmo. The original St. Elmo Hotel was a one story building described by one of its patrons as follows: "At the St. Elmo, the leading hotel in town, the dining room, kitchen and was room are in the same enclosure. At mealtime owing to the scarcity of chairs, all the guests stand, except those who secure a chair. All guests are required to register every morning, and pay for their lodgings in advance. Otherwise they will have to sleep in chairs or on the floor. When guests are shown to their cots or beds the hotel clerk carries a lighted candle, minus the usual candlestick, and before arranging the covering holds the candle, burning end downward, and in the grease spot thus made the candle is stuck to keep it from falling. The floor of the bedroom is made by laying rough boards as closely as possible and all night long the chilling winds whistle through the crevices and rudely disturb the slumbers of the traveling tenderfoot and fortune hunter."
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Retrieved 1/2/2019: Online Archive of California
