Dixie Hotel
Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On September 2, 1915, the Canton Herald announced plans for a new hotel. Its site along the Dixie Highway gave the hotel its name and a prime location to attract travelers and residents. The hotel’s square floor plan included two full floors with wraparound gallery porches, and dormer windows and a half-floor in the attic. Sheriff John Kellis, the owner and contractor, sold the hotel for $2,750 to Mrs. A. R. Maume and her daughter, Mamie, on October 18, 1916. Mamie became the hotel manager. In 1919, she oversaw construction of a two-story annex. The Dixie Hotel became known regionally for its lodging and meals. Maggie Bowles, and later Aarona Maxie and her sister, Nannie Hambrick, were the renowned cooks. For 85 cents on weekdays, or a dollar on Sundays, a customer could eat all he wanted. U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson arrived by helicopter to sample some of Aarona’s good cooking. The Dixie had two dining rooms, one public and one private. The private room was used by juries during long trials. The hotel was also visited by politicians, businessmen, and such celebrities as Will Rogers, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. When the Van oil field drew hundreds of men and women in the 1920s and 1930s, the Dixie was always full, and cots were even placed on the porches to accommodate all the people. Pure Oil Company contracted with Miss Mamie for a separate office space and living quarters behind the hotel. Dallas and Fort Worth newspaper articles about the hotel brought motorists to Canton, while residents enjoyed Sunday singing, organization meetings, and Aggie Muster at the Dixie. Miss Mamie operated the hotel until May 5, 1954, the day she died. The Dixie closed for good that night.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Announced in 1915 and named for the Dixie Highway that ran past it, this Canton hotel became a regional landmark for its lodging and generous meals. Under manager Mamie Maume it thrived through the oil boom of the 1920s and 1930s, when cots on the porches handled the overflow, and its cooks drew diners from across the region. Politicians, businessmen, and travelers, including a young Lyndon B. Johnson, passed through its two dining rooms.
Why it matters
The Dixie Hotel captures how a good roadside stop along a named auto highway could anchor a small town's social and economic life in the early automobile age.
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Related people
- · Mamie Maume
- · Lyndon B. Johnson
Related events
- · Van oil field boom
Themes & tags
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