Pollard Hotel - Red Lodge, MT
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 45° 11.224 W 109° 14.826
12T E 637704 N 5005226
Built in 1893 as the Spofford Hotel, this has, since 1902, been known as the Pollard. Hence, the Registration Form refers to it as the Spofford, and the NRHP plaque as the Pollard. This building was the first brick building erected in Red Lodge.
Waymark Code: WMWBFD
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 08/08/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 1
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In 1902 Thomas F. Pollard purchased the hotel, renaming it the Pollard Hotel. Since the Pollard family last owned the hotel, it has been variously known as The Chief, The Tyler, and The Cielo Grande. The hotel wa purchased in September, 1991 by the Hotel Company of Red Lodge and fully restored. Two gathering rooms, The Gallery and the History Room, were created and a kitchen and dining room were created from what had been office space and a barber shop.
Pollard Hotel Certainly a great deal of excitement must have been generated with the building of the first brick structure in Red Lodge in 1893. The Spofford Hotel was built at the point mid-way between the train passenger depot and the thickly settled portion of the city. It was described in the Livingston Herald as handsomely furnished in pine, hand-oiled and costing very close to $20,000.

Thomas F. Pollard took possession of the thirty-five room hotel in 1902, renaming it The Pollard and adding twenty-five rooms. There was a spacious lobby, dining room, bar room with card and billiard tables, well-equipped kitchen and a laundry, with bowling alley and barbershop in the basement.

The dining room was a lovely room in the early days with fine furnishings, high quality hotel linens, dishes, silverware and glassware. In the early days the hotel was noted for its excellent cuisine and specialized in broiled lobsters and other dishes suitable even to the most particular gourmets. The bar room was in front (it later became the Post Office). It had a beautifully carved mahogany bar. A popular feature before the First World War was the free lunch at midnight, served from a huge platter with a domed cover.

he Hotel's telephone number from about 1903 was "1". When the Bell people were making arrangements for their installations in Red Lodge, one of the "higher up" men got into a little trouble one night and was jailed. My dad bailed him out and he was grateful and told my father that the hotel would have the very first number.

This famous hotel has been the gathering place of political, theatrical and many celebrated personalities. Names such as William Jennings Bryan, the famed silver-tongued orator; General Nelson Miles, the Indian Fighter; William and Marcus Daly, the copper kings, dotted the early registers. Buffalo Bill Cody spent many an evening in the lobby swapping tales with local old timers. Calamity Jane would on occasion interrupt the quietness of this old lodging place and Liver Eatin’ Johnston, noted Indian scout, who lived here in the early days, occasionally frequented the establishment.

Another famous personality who visited the hotel was the Sundance Kid, Harry Longabaugh. Unfortunately, he visited with a gun in his hand. He robbed the bank, which was located on the corner of the hotel, while Pollard guests watched. The infamous robber was caught, but later escaped. Since that time, guns have been banned from the hotel.

In September of 1991, the Hotel Company of Red Lodge purchased The Pollard with the intention of making it one of the finest small hotels of the Rocky Mountain West. The hotel was fully restored, creating a hotel that embraced the memories of history while maintaining the comforts of today. All the exterior rooms were dismantled and all the windows, ceilings, carpets, furniture, draperies and linens were replaced.
From the Pollard Hotel, Page 5
POLLARD HOTEL

The Rocky Fork Coal Company constructed this hotel, originally the Spofford, which welcomed its first guests on July 4, 1893. This architectural landmark, built before the commercial district was platted, originally had its main entrance on 11th Street, which was the busy roadway leading to the Eastside coal mines. Early guests included Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, and William Jennings Bryan. In 1903, an annex added twenty-five guest rooms and the Golden Rule Store. By 1907, the entrance was relocated to Broadway. The Pollard’s commercial space housed the post office, a bank, and other tenants, and it soon became a primary business and social center. Today the brick walls chart a century of remodeling and change.
From the NRHP plaque at the building
Name of the Hotel: The Pollard Hotel

Address:
2 North Broadway Red Lodge, MT 59068

Number of Rooms: 60

Height in floors: 3

Hotel since: 01/01/1893

Date Building was built: 01/01/1893

First use of building:
Hotel

Historic Hotel (Historic Building, National Monument or similar): yes

Urban Hotel (located in a village or town): yes

Mountains Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): yes

Beachs Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): no

Historic Place nearby (Unesco or National monument/site less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): no

Major Pilgrimage Place Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil. Consider any religion).: no

Hotel website (if available): [Web Link]

Hotel Rating: Not listed
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iluvfire visited Pollard Hotel - Red Lodge, MT 06/09/2023 iluvfire visited it