The Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Sept. 19, 1910

Wahkonsa Open to the Public

General Reception at the New Hostelry on Saturday Evening

Six Thousand People Inspected the New Hotel

Sunday Breakfast was the First Meal Served and the Patronage Was Satisfactory to Management

Saturday evening The Wahkonsa, corner of Tenth street and Central avenue was formerly opened to the traveling public, and Fort Dodge now boasts of the largest and finest strictly fireproof hotel in the state of Iowa.

General Reception Tendered

R.W. Johnston of Waterloo, lessee of the house and Manager Fred F. Coles, tendered a general reception to the public on Saturday evening between seven and ten o’clock in the evening, and it is estimated that close to six thousand people were conducted through all of the departments of the new hostelry and were agreeable surprised that such a handsome hotel had been opened in the city of Fort Dodge. All departments were open for inspection during the evening and the visitors were conducted from the basement to the fifth floor, practically all of the one hundred and forty-eight guest rooms being thrown open for the evening’s inspection.

American and European Plan

The Wahkonsa will be conducted on both the American and European plan, and the rooms, all of whch (sic) are outside, will range in price form $1.00 up without bath and $1.50 and up wiht bath. The dining room will be conducted on the European, table de hote and a la carte plan, club breakfast, 25 75 cents, noon luncheon 50 cents and table de hote evening dinner 75 cents. A la cart service together with the above will be provided at all meals.

Opening Patronage Good

The opening patronage at the Wahkonsa was saisfactory (sic) to the management and from the large number of traveling men who were in the city to spend Sunday but demonstrated that the openng (sic) of the new hostelry will make this city more than ever the stopping place over Sunday of the knights of the grip who are in this section of the state during the latter part of the week.

Reception This Evening

This evening R.W. Johnston and Manager Fred F. Cole will give an invitation reception at The Wahkonsa, over one thousand invitations having been sent out for the affair. Special music will be furnished during the evening by the Quist Orchestra and refreshments will be served to all of the guests of the evening.

(Editor’s note: In the first paragraph, formerly should be formally. That is one error I still see as a copy editor today. Also, the manager’s name is listed as Coles and Cole, so I don’t know which is correct.)

Tags: 1910, Cole, Coles, Johnston