PAGE HOTEL

Vachon photograph. Courtesy of: Mark Helmuth and Shorpy Historical Picture Archive

1911 advertisement. Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald

1913 advertisement. Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald

Illustration by Norman Zepeski

PAGE HOTEL. The Page Hotel was always a family-operation. Plans for the hotel were accepted on February 24, 1883, by John PAGE from the famed architect, Fridolin HEER and an estimated three hundred guests attended the grand opening of the hotel on September 8, 1883.

The hotel was four stories tall and offered fifty-two rooms, the Page apartment in which the Page family including nine children lived, dining room, and two tap rooms. In keeping with similar establishments of the time, the hotel in 1895 had a sign painter clearly indicate the entrances--"Saloon", "Ladies Entrance" and "Office." (1)

Located at Fourth and White STREETS, the Page Hotel was acknowledged for its fine dining from its first day of operation. The three hundred guests were:

     marched into the most tasty dining rooms 
     in the state and sat down to tables 
     decorated with exotic and domestic flowers...
     everything the market afforded or that 
     means could procure were served...the banquet 
     far excelled anything of the kind that has been 
     placed before the epicurean public before. (2)

The "Front Page" was a small restaurant and tap room where meals and beer, legal until 1963 although hard liquor was not, were served. There was originally a private social club known as The Traveler's Club. Only members with keys were admitted. In the 1950s it was opened to everyone and renamed the "Back Page." Used as the hotel's dining room, the "Back Room" offered lavish meals of steak or shrimp and a Chicken a la King luncheon special on Saturday. It's quality of food was said to be so good that some of Dubuque's larger hotels referred their guests to the Page for meals. A small electric train circled the walls of the "Back Page" as a Christmas and New Year's attraction. (3) The location of the hotel near railroad terminals made it a popular stop for railroad personnel.

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

John Page was the manager until 1920. He was succeeded by his widow, Theresa and then their youngest son Karl PAGE, a graduate engineer. The success of the Dubuque hotel led to other Page Hotels being opened in Manchester, Iowa and then Kenosha, Wisconsin. (4) When Karl died in 1956 his widow took over the hotel's operation until 1965. During the historic flood that year, the Page flooded to a point above the countertops. It never reopened.

In the path of the north-south expressway, the Page Hotel at 75 E. 4th St. was purchased by the City of Dubuque for $50,000. It was demolished in January, 1969. (5)

The closing of the Page Hotel was described at the time as "the end of an era." The Page, like many other hotels around the same time, were considered "small hotels." They drew their business from railroad passengers who rode the trains in the early 20th century. As trains began to depend more upon carrying freight, these small hotels closed to be replaced by even smaller hotels--the motels of the automobile age. (6)

The 1886-87 through 1923 Dubuque City Directory listed 473-75 4th as the address.

The 1929 through the 1968 Dubuque City Directory listed 75 E. 4th

Page hotels were located in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Dubuque, Iowa; and Manchester, Iowa. Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Image courtesy: http://tokencatalog.com/index.php

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Photo courtesy: Jim Massey

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

1920s view of the hotel. Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

Photo courtesy: Catherine Page

---

Source:

1. McDougall, Tom, "The End of an Era," Telegraph-Herald, December 31, 1968, p. 3

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Mrs. Catherine Page, e-mail, July 19, 2015

5. McDougall

6. Ibid.