Iron Horse Hotel - Blackwater MO
Posted by: 
kJfishman
N 38° 58.848 W 092° 59.405
15S E 500858 N 4314645
Iron Horse Hotel in Blackwater MO
Waymark Code: WMXAQ6
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 12/18/2017
Views: 4
Not too far of I-70 is the small town of Blackwater. This hotel goes back to the late 1800's and features this old hotel along with a replica of the original train depot. Looks like a really quiet place to get away from it all. Rates were $125 night when I checked not much more than a name brand hotel with no character or charm.
"You're in for a history lesson. My tiny-town travels have taken me to the quaint historic town of Blackwater, which is so small that if you blink, you might miss it. Located 40 minutes west of Columbia, past Boonville and a couple exits, Blackwater was once a refueling station for the Missouri Pacific Railroad between Jefferson City and Kansas City.
The town was established in 1887. The Iron Horse Hotel & Restaurant, the oldest building in historic downtown, is a bed and breakfast that serves delicious meals with a twist. Owner and chef Tracy Russell, who was born in New Orleans, trained in Italy and worked in Orlando, has managed the hotel for the past two years. He describes his food as eclectic, which can also be said about the town's history.
Blackwater is a town of the past. The population swelled when the railroad was a popular means of transportation. However, those days have passed, and the town shrunk as the buildings aged and waited. Eventually Blackwater received a facelift and revamped it's look from a federal grant because of its historic status. Thousands of people now pass through Blackwater. It has a festival in May and October and attracts show-goers from the Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock.
Russell says that the Iron Horse, once called the City Hotel, was a lodging fit for the wealthy elite. The inside and outside is decorated in a classic and ornate style. Although the restaurant serves traditional Missouri food such as brisket and KC strip steak, chef Russell brings inspired fare from his life into the menu such as southern fried cheese grits or the Italian-style meatball sub."
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