Cass County Indiana History: THE TWO BARNETT HOTELS

Let me begin by reminding the reader that we are talking about landmarks of Logansport, Indiana. And this particular post has to do with the Barnett Hotel and the "new" Barnett Hotel, which were two separate buildings.

WASHINGTON HALL - THE OLD BARNETT

This was the original "old" Barnett Hotel. It stood on the SW corner of 3rd and E. Market Street.

The old Barnett was built in 1820 by a Scotsman named Gillis McBane. At that time it was a one-story structure and it was known as Washington Hall. It was the main place for meetings by the town fathers - a town which would, in 1828, be incorporated as such and named Logansport. Ten years later, in 1838, Logansport would be incorporated as a city.

The hotel was a stop for the stagecoach line. After stopping here the stagecoach would continue on to Lafayette.

Above: Painting of the Old Barnett by Wils Berry (1851-1928), from a private collection

1854 Logansport Journal - Ads in the paper would use the Barnett House as a landmark – example “Dr. Manlove, D.D.S. located nearly opposite the Barnett House…” and “Ferguson, Hill and Co. opening for spring and summer opposite the Barnett House…”

There were five other owners before Alexander Barnett bought the structure(1859) and named it the "Barnett". Those owners were Capt. T. Douglas, Capt. Benjamin Scott, Alexander Chamberlain, Cyrus Vigus and Benjamin Ganson.

After Alexander Barnett bought the hotel (1859) he added two upper stories.

June 16, 1869

"The Barnett Brothers have leased the Barnett Hotel from their father and intend running it from the 1^st of July." from Democratic Pharos, page 3

BECOMES A "FLOP HOUSE"

Between the years 1869 and 1880 the old Barnett went from being a nice hotel where people would sometimes stay while their houses were being constructed to an undesirable place.

May 15, 1880

…Within the past few years the corner position of the old Barnett House has become the concentration of all that is wicked and vile. The respectable inmates have been gradually driven out until now all except the west end of the building has been given over to the rats, harlots and men of the lowest stamp. Well may it be said that satan’s headquarters in Logansport were in the old Barnett House.

The state’s prosecutor took notice of this and called the attention of the grand jury that material here existed for a half dozen or more indictments against certain crooks for living in open and notorious adultery.

Several witnesses were examined. Warrants for offenders were issued.

The action of the grand jury and the prosecutor will go a long way toward bringing about better condition of affairs in the den known as the Old Barnett House.

The parties took their medicine but had some cuss words to say of the witnesses who had informed on them. From Logansport Weekly Journal

HOUSE CLEANING 1884

July 27, 1884

The Old Barnett House has been vacated, improved, renovated and purified. FROM AN ARTICLE BY JUDGE HORACE P. BIDDLE From the Critic

The Old Barnett burned sometime in 1893.

THE NEW BARNETT HOTEL

The "new" Barnett co-existed for about 13 years with the old as the "new" was built (across Market Street and down a little to the west) in 1880.

Alexander and his wife left Logansport for a few years. They lived in California, then in Florida. When they returned they built the beautiful structure pictured above. Mrs. Barnett was credited with the design (see September 29, 1883 Logansport Weekly Journal, page 9).

Above: November 2, 1880 Logansport Evening Journal

Above: Barnett Hotel at left; the Nelson Theater (later the Roxy) at right circa 1911-12

1920 FIRE BARNETT HOTEL

On Sunday, February 8, 1920 a fire broke out inside the Barnett Hotel. The building was gutted, one person died and five others were injured as they escaped. Charles Finch, master carpenter for the Michigan division of the Pennsylvania Railroad was died after falling from a rope while trying to escape.