| |
"Rooms
with a Past"
HOTEL
McCARTNEY
A
Look Inside Texarkana's Ten-Story Ghost Texarkana
Police Lend TE Photographers a Helping Hand
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Texarkana?
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| | Skylight
above the Atrium-style lobby.
Photo by Grant Gildon |
Introduction:
This was just the latest in a string of good deeds performed by
Ken and Yvonne Rudine for our readers - a long string that stretches from
Marfa's courthouse Lights to the sun-baked strand of Aransas. And you know what
they say about good deeds - nary a one goes unpunished. This is their story.
The
Rudines recently left their beloved Texas for a trip north. Being fans of coastal
environs, the Rudines decided to do a lighthouse inventory. Their destination
was Lake Michigan and their quest was to verify that forty-four of the famous
lighthouses arranged around the shores of that lake were exactly where the state
said they would be in their promotional literature. That part of their trip can
only be described as a huge success.
On their trip, Ken kept in electronic
touch with "the home office." This wasn't as easy as it sounds. Contact was spotty
and at times Ken had to resort to innovative ways to connect to the internet -
some of which involved climbing to the tops of grain elevators or attaching jumper
cables to barbed wire fences. When he did connect - he asked if we needed any
East Texas photos since they would be returning that way.
Just two days
previously, reader (now contributor) Jimmy Ramsey had made us aware of Texarkana's
former Hotel McCartney. Being fresh in our memory, and with the Rudines passing
within feet of the building - we asked if they wouldn't mind taking a brief detour
down State
Line Avenue for some detailed photos of the hotel to complement those furnished
by Mr. Ramsey. The best we hoped for were some shots of the interior taken through
a ground-floor window (if there were any left).
Ken's reply to our request
was (as it has always been) both affirmative and enthusiastic. Having not seen
the building ourselves - we gave the only two facts we knew at that time - that
it was Texarkana's tallest building and it was across from the old Union Station
building. One might assume every newsboy, bus driver and desk clerk on either
side of the State Line would be able to steer visitors to the McCartney - closed
or not. But newsboys are extinct and bus driver endangered, so the Rudines enlisted
the help of their helpful hotel manager. That's where it all began... |
| | Hotel
McCartney
Westside at Main & Front
Photo by Ken Rudine |
| | The
fire escape.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
The
Adventure in Ken's words:
"This was quite an amusing assignment
which started at the Super 8 Motel and Maxine Macool the manager. We asked about
the hotel by the name of McCartney - ten stories tall, and the tallest building
in town. The response was "No such thing here and I've lived here for 31 years."
I added that it was supposed to be across from the Union Station. Maxine:
"Let me call my "special 911" number and find out about this." "Hello (friend),
is there such.... "No, nothing like that here" she relayed her friend's answer.
A minute later the friend calls Maxine back and says, "Hell, I'm looking at it
through this police station window. It's right behind our building."
Yvonne and I hop into our car as the clock is approaching 5pm. We head down Texas
street to Broad street and then right on Main street to Front street - and there
it is - "big as life and twice as ugly." It was totally boarded up except for
two windows and padlocked except for one door. |
| | 3
of the 5 police cars that answered the suspicious activity call.
Photo
by Ken Rudine |
As I looked for
a photo opportunity - I completed one CCW revolution and the police cars started
rolling up. Y. was lounging in the car eating Nestle's chocolate bars (to keep
them from melting in the 95-degree heat), but when she saw the other "heat" arriving
with backup upon backup she hesitated in her task - thinking she might make a
run for it. While the police response was nearly "textbook" - they had failed
to block her door and she was considering making a run for it.
I walked
over to the officers and said "Howdy, I'm Ken Rudine on assignment for Texas Escapes
Online Magazine." That was met by a wall of blank stares. As an opener - I might've
done better. Well, anyhow we got past that first hurdle and I explained that there
were people (somewhere) interested in this old hotel - even if some Texarkanans
deny its existence.
Since the exterior was the pits (a technical architectural
term - Ed.) and there wasn't so much as a cornerstone to photograph, I realized
this was a hard point to prove so I told them of the "alleged" Art Deco interior
AND how the building was listed with the state as Historical and that what we
were hoping to accomplish was to spark an interest toward preservation of this
- one of Texarkana's landmarks - which was (incidentally) the tallest building
in the city and could they help us ignite this spark by not arresting us? After
discussing the situation, they decided that since they were already there - that
a search of the building might prove to be good training - they graciously offered
to take some interior photographs (with my camera).
I told my story with
passion and (at least) I believed every word. I'd check with the editor later
to see how far from the truth was it. The officers were very nice and only looked
at my drivers license (and probably ran some kind of check) but never cuffed me.
I think it was because Texas Escapes is so well known. Maybe it was the "Top Secret"
clearance that I once held in the Air Force during the Korean War. |
| Officer Tommy McElhiney
(the wife of a Lieutenant on the force) thought our mission worthy enough to lend
a hand. She accompanied Officer Grant Gildon, who, using my camera, took the interior
photos. Sergeant Mike Harris secured the perimeter and assisted in crowd control.
Their help was invaluable and without it - you wouldn't be seeing the photos presented
here. |
| | The
Hotel Garage
Photo by Ken Rudine |
| | "Marquee
de Sad"
Photo by Ken Rudine |
| | Window
detail.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
| | Window
base decor.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
After spending the
night in a comfortable bed instead of a jail cell, we bid adieu to Texarkana and
didn't see any need to pass the McCartney as we left. Having saved all the chocolates
from the Texas heat - our priorities had now shifted to lunch in Lufkin
at Ralph & Kacoos. We had heard that their stuffed shrimp are fantastic." - Ken
Rudine, June 23, 2005
McCartney
Hotel Interior next page |
Forum:
Texarkana McCartney Hotel Limousine Rides to School
I went online
to find a hotel in Texarkana, as I am heading there Friday to celebrate my father's
ninetieth birthday. In my search results, I was amazed to find the McCartney hotel,
which led me to your site and the amusing article accompanying the photos of this
formerly beautiful building. My mother worked at the McCartney Hotel for about
seven years when I was a little girl. This would have been something like 1960
to 1967. I spent lots of nights (mother worked 11PM to 7AM) roaming the halls
of the McCartney and sleeping in the rooms. It was truly a beautiful, glorious
place. I especially remember the ballroom. I think it was on the second floor;
the walls were mirrored and there was a fabulous chandelier.
The men who
worked as bellhops would take me across the street to the coffee shop, and sometimes
one of them would drive me to school in the hotel's limousine. Mr. McCartney loved
my mother and was good to my family. Well, of course I could go on, but I'll just
say thank you for the photos. It's very sad to see the state of disrepair. This
has brought back many happy memories for me. Although I'm an Arkansan, I have
lived and worked in Texas at various times in my life and have great fondness
for all things Texan. I'll remember to check out your [magazine] often. Thanks
for the memories. - Robin Ward, Little Rock, Arkansas, October 24, 2006
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Rooms
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July 6 , 2005 | |
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