1896

—Lower Downtown Walking Tour —

The St. Elmo Hotel, constructed in 1896, joined a pantheon of grand and small hotels clustered in lower downtown to serve railroad travelers. In 1870, the first Denver Pacific locomotive pulled into Denver, and prosperity followed close on its wheels. During the Silver Boom of the 1880's, Denver became the hub city for the wild growth and spectacular mining strikes in Leadville, Aspen, Georgetown, the San Juan Mountains and Cripple Creek. The paydirt flowed into Denver, financing a gilding of the Queen City of the Plains replete with Victorian opulence and civic improvements. Hotels, particularly those located near the bustling rail yards, provided a haven of rest for weary travelers, railroad workers and the local populace looking for luxury dining and civilized entertainment. The Windsor at 18th & Larimer Streets opened in 1880, billing itself as the 'finest hotel in the west.' The Albany took up the challenge for the title in 1885, then the Metropole opened in 1891. The long-lost splendor of the Inter-Ocean Hotel, Planters' House, Alvord House, the American Hotel, the Wentworth Hotel and the Gumry Hotel at 1725 Lawrence, destroyed by a boiler explosion fire in 1895, overshadowed the modest charms of the St. Elmo. With a location just two blocks from Union Station and advertised as a small, 'less expensive' hotel, the St. Elmo catered