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"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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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... |
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Hotel
McCartney
Westside at Main & Front
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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The
fire escape.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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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.
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3
of the 5 police cars that answered the suspicious activity call.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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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.
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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. |
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The
Hotel Garage
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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"Marquee
de Sad"
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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Window
detail.
Photo by Ken Rudine |
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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
July 6 , 2005 |
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