Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Historic Beaumont Hotel

Edwin Russell built the historic Beaumont Hotel in the beautiful scenic Flint Hills of Kansas in 1879.



The hotel was first used as a stagecoach station and stopping place for travelers from Fredonia and Wichita. This was part of a longer route from Ft. Scott at the eastern edge of Kansas.

In 1880, the Frisco Railroad built tracks along this route. And in 1885 the Frisco decided to build an extension south to Oklahoma and choose Beaumont as the junction. With the arrival of the Frisco Railroad, guests included cattle barons from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as the elite of the Frisco Railroad. In addition to servicing the trains of the Frisco, Beaumont was a staging area for those who shipped cattle to markets back east. Two water reservoirs and cattle pens handled 9,000 cattle at one time.

As the old story goes, there was a brothel operating out of the Beaumont Hotel.  The wife entertained the men upstairs and the husband handled business downstairs. A young cowboy took a liking to the proprietor's wife. The husband then shot and killed him.Since then:
"There have been reports by staff and guests that the cowboy is now haunting the old hotel. Loud thumping can be heard on the stairs and on the top floor of the hotel. Guests have reported chairs being moved in rooms and alarms clocks that sound off all hours of the night. Staff members have even reported seeing the apparition of the cowboy."
EverythingCreepy.

2 comments:

  1. Is this the same Edwin Russell?

    Entry 47. Edwin Russell, born June 26, 1857 in Near Burlington, Coffey County, Kansas; died Unknown in Texas. He was the son of 92. John Russell and 93. Mary Palmer Strang. He married 47. Anna Mary Mefford Abt. 1892.

    http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/u/n/David-M-Dunlop-TX/GENE1-0007.html

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  2. One other possible entry.

    29. Edwin Russell, born June 26, 1857 in Near Burlington, Coffey County, Kansas; died in Texas; married (1) Emma Caroline Seeley September 09,

    Note the connection to the Strang family.

    http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/u/n/David-M-Dunlop/GENE26-0005.html#CHILD590338

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