The strongest building in Lamar

When the Alamo was built in 1936 it was touted as the strongest building in the community. Built of concrete and steel to withstand southeast Colorado’s winds, the building opened to great fanfare.

A story in the Dec. 21, 1936 edition of the Lamar Daily News reported:

THRONGS ATTEND OPENING OF NEW ALAMO HOTEL

MORE THAN 2,000 PERSONS ARE SAID TO HAVE PASSED THRU BUILDING

People of Lamar and vicinity flocked to the new Alamo Hotel Sunday afternoon where they attended open house, inspected the edifice which is the latest contribution toward making Lamar a “city modern as well as a city beautiful:, and congratulated the owner and proprietor, Max Buchman, Jr., who saw the need of a modern hostelry and erected a structure which is a credit no only to Lamar but the entire Arkansas Valley. The crowd was estimated at 2,000 persons.

For years rumors have persisted that Lamar was to have a new hotel but with the passing of the months nothing definite was accomplished. Even seven months ago when work was first started on the “Alamo: people were yet a bit dubious, but on Sunday Lamarites experienced the thrill of pride and achievement in the realization of that dream. When they attended “open house”.

Upon entering the lobby numerous congratulatory bouquets of beautiful roses and cut flowers lent an atmosphere of charm and ably set off the architecture design and elaborate furnishings. The open house program was in charge of the Chamber of Commerce. As guests arrived at the hotel they were greeted by reception committee from the Chamber including C. O. Bowman, Lloyd Yeates and L. J. Jolton. The committee conducted the guests over the hotel.

Miss Shirley Strain’s orchestra played between 2 and 3 o’clock. A radio in the lobby also furnished music.

The many guests who thronged in and out between 2 and 6 o’clock voiced unanimous approval of the structure. The pastel colored guest rooms, the modernistic furnishings and the two-tone plaid drapes and harmonizing bed spreads were lauded. A “home-like” atmosphere has been created combined with an air of poise and charm.

Buchman will continue to actively manage the Alamo, but has not yet made public his staff. He and his wife and small daughter Maxine, who have been in the city for the past several  months, are making a place for themselves in Lamar and are entering into the life of the community.

 

Who is Lamar anyway?

You may be wondering how the town of Lamar got its name. It didn’t happen with the typical recognition of some political figure in American society, an idolized entrepreneur, or the prestiged American War Hero. Rather it resulted from a desperate pursuit by Isaac R. Holmes, a land agent and town developer from Garden City, to establish an official land office. Without the institution of this office, the erection of Lamar as a town site was inconceivable. But why was Holme’s so desperate to construct a town in the territory of Section 31, Township 22, Range 46 previously deeded to Edward and Bertha L. Fitzgerald?

At the time, the manifestation of silver and gold enticed people to move west via the Santa Fe Railroad. In 1873, this railway reached the Colorado border and presented the opportunity for new land ownership. Holme’s saw this land venture as a valuable business proposition as it rested a mere 3 miles from the Blackwell Railroad Station at the time. With the help of Colonel John E. Godding, Holme’s contacted President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of the Interior, Lucius Quintus Lamar, for support in the establishment of a federal land office. Holmes rationalized that if he named the town after Lamar, the proposal would certainly follow through. Hence, the founding of Lamar, Colorado.

The History of Lamar: The Chicanery of A.R. Black

At the milepost “499” (representing the mileage from Atchison, Kansas) stood the small Blackwell Railroad Depot. This station served as the primary service depot for the Santa Fe Railroad and was owned and operated by the affluent cattleman, A. R. Black. Upon the creation of Lamar only 3 miles to the west, a void was vacant. Lamar needed a railroad depot in order to allow easy access of prospective residents to the new town. What they needed was to redirect the Santa Fe railroad from Blackwell to Lamar.

In 1866, Holmes and the railroad crew went to A.R. Black and requested the donation of a land plot for a railroad depot, which in exchange, Black could partition the unused land for building purposes. Black immutably declined the offer. So what did Holmes do? Holmes retracted the offer and told Black that the railroad would be moved. Black immediately contacted an attorney to sanction Holmes against railroad relocation. He then received a telegram the Sunday before the issuing of the sanction on a matter of some imperative business. On that same Sunday the railroad mysteriously was relocated to milepost “502” where Lamar was being established. Passengers arrived on May 24th, 1886 to claim a stake of land as A.R. Black watched from his desolate and disparaged depot.

The History of Lamar: A Great Big Boom

Directly following the relocation of the Santa Fe Railroad from Blackwell to Lamar, a swamp of Garden City prospective land buyers arrived to the new railroad depot at milepost “502.” At 10 am, May 24, 1886 with money in hand and a desire for land, they flowed out of the steaming train. On this day, with arms bidding and the “American Dream” alive, the town of Lamar sold $45,000 worth of land. This is equivalent to $1,120,208.09 today. Over a six week period, the price of land augmented from $200 to $1,500.

The town, with only a railroad depot at the time, opened a merchandise supply store, a lumberyard, saloon, restaurant, a clerical, and even a newspaper company-The Bent County Registrar. Only two months following the arrival of the Santa Fe Train to milepost “502,” the town of Lamar comprised of approximately 500 residents.

Remember The Alamo

Back in 1895, the American Beet Sugar Company built a factory in Lamar, CO following the construction of the Lamar Milling & Elevator Company (also known as “ Lamar Flour Mill” ), which was the second largest mill in the state of Colorado at the time. Who knew? The Beet Sugar Company processed an astounding 500 tons of beets a day and brought employment to the town thereby improving economic development. The American Beet Sugar Company has since closed the Lamar factory and changed its name to the American Crystal Sugar Company. And as for the Lamar Flour Mill, it lamentably burned down in 1968. But, that’s not to say that Lamar’s intriguing history ends there.

Within walking distance of downtown Lamar and an hour from Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, the Alamo Apartments offer the ability to explore the beautiful settings of southeastern Colorado and return to the serenity of small town atmosphere. Coalescing the antiquity of Lamar with modern amenities, this historic building delivers a quality of life reminiscent upon years of development, exploration, and natural beauty that can’t be beet…yes, beet.