Simpson Hotel
Seagraves, Gaines County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1917, the year the railroad town of Seagraves was platted, Alice Jenkins built this two-story hotel and named it the Hotel Texan. R. P. and Emma Simpson, who owned the Hotel Texan from 1922 to 1923, purchased it again in 1927 and reopened it as the Simpson Hotel. With its stucco exterior and modest detailing, the Simpson Hotel exhibits a style typical of small, early 20th century hotels in West Texas. It continued in operation until 1974. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1991.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the railroad town of Seagraves was platted in 1917, Alice Jenkins built this two-story lodging as the Hotel Texan. R.P. and Emma Simpson, who first owned it in the early 1920s, bought it back in 1927 and reopened it under their own name. With its stucco exterior and simple detailing, the Simpson Hotel typified the modest hotels that served travelers in early twentieth-century West Texas until it closed in 1974.
Why it matters
The hotel recalls how new railroad towns on the West Texas plains depended on such establishments to house the travelers and workers who gave them life.
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Related people
- ¡ Alice Jenkins
- ¡ R.P. Simpson
- ¡ Emma Simpson
Themes & tags
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