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The Hotel Victoria, located at the corner of Ninth and McGee, was a fine, substantial hotel when it originally opened in 1888. It was especially popular with cattlemen who were in town to transact business at the stockyards.
A write up on the hotel found in “A History of the American Hotel,” gives the Victoria credit for having a first in hotel history. The reference notes: “The first to make the boast of having a bath in every suite appears to have been the Victoria Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, built by George Holmes on Ninth Street between McGee and Oak and opened on May 14, 1888.”
The Victoria had 240 rooms, all parlor and bedroom suites with a bath for each suite. Hotels of the day normally had common, shared facilities “down the hall” but apparently the Victoria was the first to embrace privacy for all!
On Feb. 12, 1960, the Victoria succumbed to a fire of unknown origin and the building was declared a total loss. Firefighters who were on the scene were covered with water and ice due to the frigid temperatures. Icicles hung everywhere throughout the scene, creating an eerie sight in the shadows of the flames. Four nearby buildings were damaged in the conflagration, including the old Frederick Hotel.
Thirty-five people were evacuated from the fire, but no fatalities were reported.
The building’s remains were cleared and a surface parking lot occupies the site today.
Michael Bushnell
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