Wikipedia

Gilpatrick Hotel

Gilpatrick Hotel was situated at 223 Third Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. It was opened in 1907 and was operated by members of the Gilpatrick family. The hotel was the site of the attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

Hotel Gilpatrick
Hotel Gilpatrick in October 1912
Map
General information
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
Address223 Third Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Coordinates43°2′27.3″N 87°54′53″W / 43.040917°N 87.91472°W / 43.040917; -87.91472
Completedc. 1900
Opened1907
Renovated1907
ClosedApril 1, 1932
DemolishedDecember 1941
Technical details
MaterialBrick
Floor count5

In 1941 the hotel was razed and in 1979 the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee was erected in its place. In 1926 a memorial plaque commemorating the assassination attempt was affixed to the front of the Gilpatrick; it was removed, stored and subsequently attached to the new hotel.

History edit

The building was constructed in the style of Romanesque Revival architecture.[1] It was originally occupied by the Romadka Bros Company, manufacturers of luggage trunks.[2] They used the building to house their offices and they were a well-known company in Milwaukee.[3]

Martin G. Gilpatrick started the Milwaukee hotel in 1907.[4] The building had to be remodeled in order to create hotel rooms.[3] It was located at 223 Third Street and in February 1907 during hotel construction, fifty workers walked off the job. The skilled trades, including carpenters, bricklayers, and masons, began the strike action to protest non-union electricians and ironworkers who arrived to begin work on the construction site. The workers reached an agreement and returned to work after one week.[5][6] After the remodel and opening as a hotel, it was managed by George H. Byer.[4] It was considered to be a luxury hotel.[3] In 1912 Herman Rollfink's saloon was directly across the street from the hotel on Third Street.[7][8]

Martin Gilpatrick died in 1918,[4] and ownership passed to Samuel and Rosaline Gilpatrick.[9][10] The hotel changed hands when Samuel died on January 3, 1924.[11] The hotel was leased by Irving Gilpatrick, and the lease had a 1932 expiration.[12] In 1921 a Hungarian restaurant named "Gross" was operating at the Gilpatrick Hotel.[13]

The last day of operation as a hotel was April 1, 1932.[14] Demolition of the building was approved in late December 1941, after ten years of not being used as a hotel.[15] The hotel was located at Third and Kilbourn which is now the site of the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.[1] The upper floors were razed but there was a tavern on the first floor which remained open.[3]

Assassination attempt edit

 
The 1926 plaque commemorating the attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt
Main article: Attempted assassination of Theodore Roosevelt

On October 14, 1912, former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt went to Milwaukee to campaign for re-election as president. He and his entourage ate dinner at the Gilpatrick because the owner, Gilpatrick, was a supporter. After dinner Roosevelt got into an open convertible directly in front of the hotel. As he stood up to acknowledge the crowd that had gathered, a man named John Schrank shot him in the chest. Roosevelt survived the assassination attempt and Schrank was arrested.[11][16]

A plaque was fitted to the front of the Gilpatrick Hotel to commemorate the event. It was added by the United Spanish War Veterans of Milwaukee County in 1926. After the building was razed the plaque was saved and stored. In 1979 the plaque was affixed to the newly constructed Hyatt Regency.[17] On October 14, 2012, to mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination attempt, the city reenacted the event. It took place at the east entrance of the Hyatt Regency where the Gilpatrick once stood. The participants wore period costumes including several police re-enactors.[18]

Gallery edit

  •  
    Hotel Gilpatrick post card (1917)
  •  
    1926 image of the hotel
  •  
    2024 view of the spot where Roosevelt was shot
  •  
    The automobile in which ex-president Roosevelt stood in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel. Crosses mark where Roosevelt and Schrank each stood.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Tanzilo, Bobby (14 November 2017). "14 bygone Milwaukee hotels". OnMilwaukee. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Anthony Romadka Injured by Fall". The Milwaukee Journal. 29 August 1901.
  3. ^ a b c d "Remember When...". The Milwaukee Journal. 31 July 1970.
  4. ^ a b c "Martin G. Gilpatrick". National Hotel Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ Biennial Report of the State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation. Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company. 1910. p. 22. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  6. ^ The Brass World and Platers Guide (320 ed.). New York, New Yok: Brass World Publishing Company. 1924. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  7. ^ Helferich, Gerard (8 October 2013). Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin: Madness, Vengeance, and the Campaign of 1912. Washington, DC: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-4930-0077-7. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ Prigge, Matthew J. (5 August 2020). "'It Takes More Than One Bullet to Kill a Bull Moose!' When Teddy Roosevelt was Gunned Down in Milwaukee". Shepherd Express. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ^ "The Will of Samuel i. Gilpatrick". National Hotel Reporter. 12 April 1918. p. 1. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  10. ^ I.S. Gilpatrick (17 October 1918). "Article clipped from National Hotel Reporter". National Hotel Reporter. p. 1. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Famous Hotel Passes Away". Kenosha News. United Press. 2 April 1932. p. 8. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  12. ^ Hotel Monthly. Chicago Illinois: J. Willy. 1924. p. 60. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  13. ^ "For Your Sunday Dinner Try Gross"". The Milwaukee Journal. 30 October 1921.
  14. ^ "Gilpatrick closing recalls Roosevelt shooting scene | Newspaper Article/Clipping". Wisconsin Historical Society. The Milwaukee Sentinel. 2 April 1932. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Gilpatrick Hotel Will Be Wrecked". The Sheboygan Press. December 27, 1941. p. 3. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Tichelaar, Tyler R. (12 June 2018). When Teddy Came to Town. Marquette, Michigan: Marquette Fiction. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-0-9962400-5-5. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Plaque That Will Be Happen". The Kokomo Tribune. 29 August 1979. p. 13. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  18. ^ Schultze, Steve (14 October 2012). "Re-enactment of Roosevelt shooting is true to history". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

External links edit

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