three railroaD HOTELS: THE HOTEL MURPHY, THE ABELLHOUSE, AND THE RENO INN
The hotel murphy
The Hotel Murphy sat where the Reno Inn presently is.
Photo 14, the Hotel Murphy
Photo 242. Hotel Murphy, from Quackenbush family.
Photo 240, Unidentified persons in front of Hotel Murphy. Photo from Quackenbush family.
The Hotel Murphy was operated by the Shepherd family for many years. Here are family photos taken at the hotel, so.me looking at the building and some taken from the yard with the depot in the background.
fire destroys the hotel murphy
In a March 6, 1931 article, found by Ted Quackenbush, the fire that destroyed the Hotel Murphy is reported. The article contains a detailed history of it. According to this history, it seems that the Hotel Murphy operated on the Reno Inn site from the coming of the railroad, i.e., since 1870. The Able House (probably Abell, which the platt shows as the property owner), also I believe a railroad hotel at the depot, was apparently a second hotel, operating simultaneously for many years.
The Hotel Murphy's history was described in the article about the fire. As a "new" hotel, it was managed by Mrs. Ed Ryas; it was then sold to J. H. Montgomery. Montgomery's widow eventually sold it to Mr. Van Shriner, who sold it to James Murphy. Murphy "rebuilt" the building of brick . (Does that mean he tore the building down and "rebuilt" on the site, or somehow modified it? I don't know.) Murphy sold it to S. H. Brown, who sold it to William B. (Bill) Shepherd, who then owned it until it burned down in 1931.
Here is the article, which also has interesting information about some of the owners:
The Hotel Murphy's history was described in the article about the fire. As a "new" hotel, it was managed by Mrs. Ed Ryas; it was then sold to J. H. Montgomery. Montgomery's widow eventually sold it to Mr. Van Shriner, who sold it to James Murphy. Murphy "rebuilt" the building of brick . (Does that mean he tore the building down and "rebuilt" on the site, or somehow modified it? I don't know.) Murphy sold it to S. H. Brown, who sold it to William B. (Bill) Shepherd, who then owned it until it burned down in 1931.
Here is the article, which also has interesting information about some of the owners:
March 6, 1931
W. G. Shepherd is on the right. Jane Carter is in the middle. The man on the left has not been identified. Photo 249.
the abell house
The 1931 article about the Murphy Hotel burning mentions the "Able" House. It was probably the Abell House. Ads in 1882 refer to it as the Abell House and the owner of the property according to the original 1870 platt of Lower Town was named Abell.
In any event, the article is ambiguous, but the Hotel Murphy and the Abell House may have co-existed. And the Abell House may have been a grand place, because the article says that the Hotel Murphy became the most popular place in this section of the state after the burning of the Abell House. That implies that the Abell House was the more popular, which one would suppose means also that it was of equal grandeur as the Hotel Murphy.
There is a photograph of the lower brickyard taken by Archer King, who photographed -- I think -- beginning in the very early 1900s. In the distance, one can pick out a huge white building by the depot. A careful look reveals a darker building behind it, and an even more careful look reveals a gable that is surely one of the those of the Hotel Murphy. Is this white building, then, the Abell House? It seems that it could be no other.....
In any event, the article is ambiguous, but the Hotel Murphy and the Abell House may have co-existed. And the Abell House may have been a grand place, because the article says that the Hotel Murphy became the most popular place in this section of the state after the burning of the Abell House. That implies that the Abell House was the more popular, which one would suppose means also that it was of equal grandeur as the Hotel Murphy.
There is a photograph of the lower brickyard taken by Archer King, who photographed -- I think -- beginning in the very early 1900s. In the distance, one can pick out a huge white building by the depot. A careful look reveals a darker building behind it, and an even more careful look reveals a gable that is surely one of the those of the Hotel Murphy. Is this white building, then, the Abell House? It seems that it could be no other.....
Photo 124. Observe the white building on the left.
Excerpt of Photo 124. Observe the Hotel Murphy beyond the white building. Is the white building the Able/Abell house?
the reno inn
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Shepherd, after losing the Hotel Murphy, built a new building that eventually became known as the Reno Inn. Again, Ted Quackenbush has provided an article he found in the Argus. This May 8, 1931 article reports the prompt rebuilding within months of the Hotel Murphy fire:
The Reno Inn has been owned and operated by a variety of families since the Shepherds.
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Photo 256. The Reno Inn, taken by Ted Quackenbush, June 2009.
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the reno -- a family place that MAY HAVE BEEN on the wild side IN ITS DAY
On the other side of the tracks. The Reno in 2015, by Kim Vrtiska. Photo 1427.
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dick mccourtneyFrom Sharla: I spent a lovely afternoon in December 2016 with Dick McCourtney and his sister Joyce, grandchildren of Charlie's. Their father was Mike McCourtney. They came to look, and Dick, who was the oldest grandson and remembered his grandparents well, to tell some stories. Big and small, I love all stories.
Dick is 82. He was born here, but the family moved away when he was 6 or 7. But he still spent a lot of time here with his grandparents. One thing that came up was the Reno Inn, and it made me laugh. I don't know if it's that funny but it hit my funny bone. Here's all he said The Reno Inn! When I was a kid, that’s where the tough railroaders went, my father too. Fights all the time it seemed. The guys used to go there and get drunk and kick the shit out of each other. My dad took me there, and I got a lot of soda when he was on the sauce, whatever I wanted! Ha ha! I can see it now. Honey, ring the butler for my coat and hat. I'm going out tonight. I do believe I shall go down to the Reno, where I will overimbibe. Then a bunch of us fellers intend to engage in our usual pastime, kicking the shit out of each other. I am opposed to violence, but still..... The Reno I remember was such a quiet place!
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theresa dunekackeFrom what I understand from my relatives covering Southeast Nebr. Saturday Nights were Alright for Fighting!!! Bar room brawls and dances! Say going back to the 30's, 40's, 50's 60's. Some people instigated it, while others waited for the part to break it up and clean up on the trouble makers. Maybe a sign of being cool and tough! Ego trip! Some families carried it on for generations, it's in their genes to this day! Women fighting got alot uglier! |
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dean harrisMy parents drank alot I think they went their a few times when they were in town! We used to stop by their and get a soda out of the Coka Cola tub with ice in it, sometimes we would get a candy! |
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marilyn smithThis is all so funny. I've gotten a kick out of it. I was so overprotected, I missed it all. Thanks for sharing!!! |
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jackie uhriLiving south of the Reno Inn for about 15 years, I missed all the commotion!! I remember it for the families stopping for pop/great food. |
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stacy fankhauserMy mom and my grandmother , Vlasta Spier use to work there. Grandma lived in a little house behind the Reno Inn. |
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donna brown mcmannWe used to go there about every day when mom and dad carried the mail. Was a booming place. Was a treat to go over the tracks and have a pop |
The Reno Inn in 2015, photo by Kim Vrtiska. Photo 1428.
ted quackenbush's newspaper clipping collection about the railroad hotels of table rock
*under construction*
Ted's wife Nancy is a Shepherd descendant, Bill Shepherd having been the proprietor of the Hotel Murphy in its final days and also the builder of the Reno Inn. Ted went through all of the Table Rock Argus's in search of evidence and articles about the railroad hotels of Table Rock. Here are the clippings that he found.
