Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale hotel located at 1806 Douglas Street in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. Designed by noted architect

Thomas Rogers Kimball Thomas Rogers Kimball (April 19, 1862 – September 7, 1934) was an American architect in Omaha, Nebraska. An architect-in-chief of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898, he served as national President of the American Institute o ...

in the Late Gothic Revival style, it opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1983. It was named after

Logan Fontenelle Logan Fontenelle (May 6, 1825 – July 16, 1855), also known as ''Shon-ga-ska'' (White Horse), was a trader of Omaha and French ancestry, who served for years as an interpreter to the US Indian agent at the Bellevue Agency in Nebraska. He was e ...

, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe when it ceded land to the U.S. government which became the city of Omaha.

History

The Fontenelle opened on February 15, 1915. Costing $1 million to build, it was funded largely by citizen subscribers, which was a common method for financing hotels at the time. The building was designed by Thomas Kimball for the Douglas Hotel Company and its president, Gurdon W. Wattles. The building had 350 guest rooms decorated in an English style, and public areas appointed with marble floors and mahogany paneling. The Fontenelle was operated by the Douglas Hotel Company until 1920, after which it was acquired by hotel magnate

Gene Eppley Eugene C. Eppley (April 8, 1884 – October 14, 1958) also known as Gene, was a hotel magnate in Omaha, Nebraska. Eppley is credited with single-handedly building one of the most successful hotel empires, by the 1950s the largest privately owned h ...

, becoming the flagship of his

Eppley Hotel Company The Eppley Hotel Company was located in Omaha, Nebraska. At the time of its acquisition by the Sheraton Corporation in 1956, it had 22 properties, and it was the largest privately held hotel business in the United States. About Owned by hotel mag ...

, which in the 1950s was the largest privately held hotel company in the US. Eppley operated 22 units in six states and lived in the Fontenelle after buying it in 1920, and died there in 1958. The center of Omaha society, the hotel was the site of numerous civic events, weddings and conventions. These included the founding of the

Girl Scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

movement in Omaha. a national women's bowling tournament, and lectures by

Willa Cather Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', '' The Song of the Lark'', and ''My Ántonia''. In 1923, ...

and other nationally known authors. Eppley sold his hotel empire to

Sheraton Hotels Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an international semi-luxury hotel chain owned by Marriott International. As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Ce ...

, for thirty million dollars in 1956. It was the second largest hotel sale in United States history. The hotel became the Sheraton-Fontenelle and continued to be a popular destination for social events. Sheraton sold the hotel, along with seventeen other aging properties, to Gotham Hotels in 1968 and it regained its original name. The hotel was headquarters for Senator Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 Democratic Nebraska primary campaign. The hotel closed on February 28, 1971. It had faded in popularity as the city grew westward and the structure's condition was also deteriorating. Many attempts were made to redevelop the Fontenelle as it stood empty over the next twelve years, but it was eventually demolished in the spring of 1983. The site is now the parking lot of the Roman L. Hruska Federal Courthouse.

Notable guests

The Fontenelle hosted many celebrities and politicians through the years, including Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

, who was a personal friend of Gene Eppley. Senator

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and his wife

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

stayed there during his campaign for the 1960 Presidential election.Dalstrom, H.A. (1969) ''Eugene C. Eppley: His Life and Legacy.'' Johnsen Press.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontenelle Hotel buildings completed in 1915

Hotel Fontenelle Hotel Fontenelle was an upscale hotel located at 1806 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by noted architect Thomas Rogers Kimball in the Late Gothic Revival style, it opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1983. It was named aft ...

Demolished hotels in Omaha, Nebraska

Hotels established in 1915 Former skyscrapers

Skyscraper hotels in Nebraska Sheraton hotels

History

Notable guests

See also

References