1890 to 1893 was the time of Big Timber's major economic boom and it was at the beginning of this era that the Grand Hotel was built, helping to change Big Timber from a rough and ready frontier town to the commercial centre of the area. At the time Big Timber was the centre of a major sheep raising area, shipping 4,500,000 pounds of wool by 1900. Since its construction the Grand Hotel has remained the premiere hotel in the town.
As happened in essentially all frontier towns built predominantly of wood, Big Timber experienced a major fire, theirs coming in 1908. Fittingly, we suppose, the fire occurred on Friday the 13th in May, taking out most of the commercial district but, due to its brick construction, the Grand was spared.
We understand that, for a time in recent years, the hotel had gotten pretty run down, but it has recently been restored and reopened, boasting an excellent restaurant, rooms furnished with authentic antiques and the ambience of a turn of the twentieth century hotel.
125 years after the Grand Hotel opened the Big Timber Pioneer published a very informative news story on the hotel, including its complete history, even its seedier times and seedier inhabitants. It's a very entertaining read for those who are fans of vintage hotels, or vintage anything, for that matter. We've reproduced only the beginning of the story - click on the link and read the rest.
125 years ... at The Grand
Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2015 - 2:39pm
On the corner of McLeod Street and Second Avenue sits an iconic brick building. Its red walls have stood tall for 125 years — a beacon for tourists and a refuge for townsfolk.
The hotel has undergone countless transformations over the years; burgeoning from a sheepherder’s bar to a decrepit haunt during the mid-1900s to the fine dining center it is known as today.
While this small town of 1,700 has seen countless other ventures come and go, The Grand withstood the test of time — outliving bowling alleys, bars, bakeries, dealerships, pizza spots, and the list goes on.
The secret to the Grand’s longevity seems to be what is least secret of all — the staff. There is the ever-bubbly MJ Ames who has catered to diners and drinkers for more than 25 years and head chef Amy Smith who has, quite literally, whisked her way to the top in the past two decades.
More recently, former manager Chris Dern and his wife Tami Dern picked up the reigns — incorporating advertising into their business plan, along with a few coats of paint. What the Derns, and many previous owners, have always kept in mind is the rich history of the establishment, a history that began in the late 1800s.
Read the rest of the story at the Big Timber Pioneer