This photo is of the Chemeketa aka Willamette aka Marion Hotel in Salem, Oregon. It was constructed on the SE corner of Commercial and Ferry Streets in 1870. It opened as the Chemeketa Hotel and was considered the finest hotel north of San Francisco. It featured 17 foot ceilings on the first floor, hot and cold running water, speaking tubes and, strategically located throughout the building, "comfort stations" boasting "self-acting water closets." A particularly modern luxury was a telegraph in each room, catering to business travelers well over a century before the dawn of the Internet age. During its 101-year history, the Chemeketa/Marion was the unofficial center for state and local government "back room" politics. Its ornate basement lounge was the watering hole of choice for legislators, lobbyists and government and business officials. Its influence on decisions that shaped Salem, Oregon and even national politics and business was profound but seldom documented. The name was changed to the Willamette Hotel in 1890 and was changed again to the Marion Hotel in 1910. In this photo is the early 1880's it still has the Mansard Roof and iron steps at four doorways spaced across the front. There were three floors above the main floor, the windows were arched and detailed, there were brackets above the third floor level, and 28 chimneys on the roof to remove the smoke from the fireplaces in the 125 rooms and 34 suites. All that changed when it became the Marion Hotel. The iron steps were removed and large plate glass windows were installed on the main floor, marquees were added on the roof and on both sides, a fire escape was added over the main entrance, and the mansard roof was replaced with brick and plain windows. See photo SCC82 for what it looked like then.
DATE
1880's
SUBJECTS
Marion Hotel; Chemeketa Hotel; Willamette Hotel; Salem, Oregon: fire
PHOTOGRAPHER
Cronise Studios
COLLECTOR
Greg Nelson
OBJECT
b/w photo
DIMENSIONS
h 7.6 in x w 9.4 in
PHOTO SOURCE
Salem Public Library
REMARKS
scanned as 12167t. Research by Joan Marie "Toni" Meyering. Photo donated to the Salem Public Library without restrictions.
Special Collections
