Ansorge Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ansorge Hotel
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The Ansorge Hotel, September 2007
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 Location in Washington (state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | River St. and Railroad Ave., Curlew, Washington |
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| Nearest city | Republic, Washington |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1907 (incorrectly 1903) |
| Architect | William Ansorge |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002530 |
| Added to NRHP | March 26, 1979 |
The Ansorge Hotel is a historic two-story building in Curlew, Washington. It was built in 1907 right next to the Great Northern Railway and Republic and Kettle Valley Railway lines. Many important people are thought to have stayed there, including Henry Ford.
The hotel had several owners before it closed in the 1970s. Soon after, people realized its historical value. It was then added to the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1980s, the Kettle River History Club worked hard to restore it. They turned it into a museum and a special landmark.
Contents
Curlew's Railroad Story
When the Republic and Kettle Valley Railway was created, Curlew became an important stop. This railway connected the gold mines in Republic to bigger train lines. Both the Republic and Kettle Valley Railway and the Washington & Great Northern Railway arrived in Curlew in 1902. Their tracks ran side-by-side through the town.
Building the Ansorge Hotel
People thought Curlew would become a busy "railroad boom town." This made William Ansorge decide to build a hotel in 1902. He wanted it close to where the train station would be. It's unclear if he bought the land first or built the hotel first. Local stories say the first hotel opened in 1903. However, county records show he bought the land in 1904.
Ansorge's first building was a simple wooden structure. When the larger, current hotel was finished in 1907, the first building was moved. It became the "Ansorge Annex" and housed different businesses.
Hotel Design and Look
The new hotel was a two-story wooden building. It had a rectangular shape. The roof had a decorative edge called a cornice. The outside walls were covered in tin sheet metal. This metal was pressed to look like rustic stone blocks. The tin was originally dark gray. But the building was soon painted light gray with white trim.
When the "Boom" Ended
The railways arrived a bit late to the area. The big gold rush in Republic was already slowing down. Because of this, Curlew never grew very large, staying around 300 people. Its busy train stop days faded away.
In 1909, Ansorge got a special license. He changed the "Ansorge Annex" into a saloon for the hotel. By 1922, fewer people were eating at the hotel. So, the regular dinner service stopped. The saloon annex was later taken down. A laundromat was built in its place.
Who Owned and Managed the Hotel?
The hotel's management changed in 1911. William Ansorge faced legal issues related to his business. He was arrested on May 5. After a court ruling, Ansorge handed over the hotel to his wife and her family, the Keihls. They then leased the hotel to Augusta and George Thomas. The Thomases took over on June 1, 1911, for three years. William Ansorge never returned to running the hotel. He began serving his sentence in December 1911.
New Managers Over Time
When the Thomases' lease ended in 1914, the Keihl family managed the hotel themselves. After several years, they again found new managers. In 1917, Leo Strassburg and his wife took over. They managed the hotel until the late 1940s.
The Keihls then took back responsibility. Family members lived in and operated the building off and on through the 1950s. In 1964, the hotel was sold to Louella Burns and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lembeke. They kept it open until 1977. After the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the Kettle River Historical Club took ownership in the 1980s.
Famous Visitors to the Hotel
On July 31, 1917, the hotel might have had a very famous guest. The guest book for that day shows the signature of "Henry Ford, Detroit Mich." People believed this was the famous car maker, Henry Ford. He was said to be visiting relatives in the area. A photo of the signature was sent to the Ford Motor Company for checking. They couldn't confirm it for sure. However, Henry Ford was traveling in the west around that time. He also had relatives in the Okanogan Highlands region.
Another local story says that James J. Hill also stayed at the Ansorge Hotel. He was a director of the Great Northern Railway.
Interesting Things That Happened
Around 1912, the first long-distance telephone in the region was installed in the hotel lobby. It was the only one in the area until the 1950s.
Fire Near the Hotel
Just after Augusta Thomas became the owner, a fire happened nearby. On July 11, 1911, a meat market across the street burned down. The heat from that fire reached the hotel. But its metal siding helped protect it. The metal kept the flames from spreading much. The window frames and siding on the side facing the fire were scorched. All the windows on that side broke from the intense heat.
Hotel's Role During Prohibition
During the years of prohibition, the hotel played a part in moving goods secretly. Barrels of Canadian goods were put into the Kettle River upstream. They floated downstream across the Canada–United States border to Curlew. If government agents were staying at the Ansorge, a red light was placed in an upstairs window. This signal told people not to pick up the goods in town.
Saving and Restoring a Landmark
In January 1979, the Ansorge Hotel was one of six buildings in Eastern Washington considered for the National Register of Historic Places. It was officially accepted on April 4, 1979. Being on this list helped protect the building. It also made it possible to get money for restoration.
Restoration Efforts
In the 1980s, the Kettle River History Club decided to restore the Ansorge Hotel. Their goal was to open it as a museum. They partly achieved this goal in time for the 1989 Washington State Centennial. After 20 years of hard work, the hotel celebrated its 100th birthday on May 17, 2003. There were tours and refreshments. Ford Model T cars were parked outside as part of the celebration. This centennial event happened at the same time as the opening of the Malo Car & Truck Museum.
Hotel Features and Layout
The front of the hotel faces where the Great Northern train station used to be. This is because the hotel relied on train travelers for most of its business. The walls inside the building are not all at 90-degree angles. People thought narrower angles would better resist the shaking from passing trains.
Upstairs Rooms
On the second floor, there is one toilet and bath in a central room. There is also a "day room" or parlor for business. A closet and eight guest rooms are arranged around the outside walls. These rooms have unusual shapes. The parlor is the only room on that floor with access to the balcony. This balcony looks out over the front of the hotel. The front corner rooms have square bay windows. These rooms also have doors that can close off the bay area. One of these corner rooms was called the "honeymoon suite."
Early Conveniences
When it opened, the Ansorge was one of the few buildings in the region with indoor running water. It also had two flush toilets. This was considered amazing at the time. Water for the hotel came from a tank on the roof called a cistern. Gravity provided the water pressure. If more water was needed, it could be pumped by hand from ground level. Guests could take a bath in the hotel's only bathtub for about 50 cents in 1907. Rooms on the second floor still have rope ladders at the windows. They also have chamber pots for when the main toilet was busy. Some dressers are filled with old-fashioned clothes.
Downstairs Areas
The first floor was used for many things. The kitchen, in the northwest corner, has been updated with appliances from the 1960s and 1970s. The dining room, in the southwest, became a living room with few changes. The lobby, in the southeast, also served as a barber shop. Many of the original items for both are still there. It now serves as the museum's gift shop. An old glass cigar case and display counter from the 1930s are still in the lobby. A working, coin-operated wax cylinder phonograph is also there.
The northeastern corner room was once a bar. During prohibition, it became a soda fountain and pool room. It holds the building's heating system. For a while, it was used for storage. This room was later changed to look like the old Helphrey Brothers Curlew Store. It uses the original store's furniture, counter, and cash register. A small toilet room is in the center of the ground floor, below the upstairs restroom. It can be reached from both the lobby and the bar rooms.
Basement and Annex
There is a partially finished basement with stone walls. You can get to it through a trap door on one side of the building. The original annex building, which became a saloon, was torn down. A more modern building with a shed roof replaced it. Most recently, this building housed the Curlew Laundromat.
The Ansorge Hotel Today
Much of the building remains the same as it was long ago. Only the electricity, heating system, and kitchen appliances have been updated. The hotel has been mostly restored. Many of the original items and furniture are still in its rooms.
As of 2025, the museum offers tours by appointment. The Ansorge Hotel is the last old hotel left in Ferry County.
