Harmon’s Histories: Gunfight breaks out in Superior Hotel lobby!

Jim Harmon

Last week, I wrote about the movement to place Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms – something that actually began in Superior, Montana, at the Superior Hotel (aka, Ordean Hotel).

But that hostelry had many more stories to tell – numerous owners, celebrations and even a gunfight in the lobby!

The original hotel was constructed by Charlie Jameson in 1891, and finished by A.P. Johnston a year later. A writer for the Missoula Weekly Gazette recommended Jameson’s place as having “as good accommodation as any place between Missoula and Wallace. The expectation of trying his cuisine lightened the inconveniences of the slow and uncomfortable Missoula cut-off.”

In 1896, the hotel celebrated the Fourth of July with a “grand display of fireworks (and) the grandest dance of the season with music comprised of violin, banjo, guitar, organ and other instruments.” The local girls were, of course, described as “really superior.”

Frank Dent took over the place in 1903, doing extensive remodeling, “making it one of the best little hotels in the state.” Other owners included J.G. Wilkinson, J.D. Rosenbaum, and J.W. McDonald.

The hotel had its own restaurant and hosted weddings, banquets and other affairs.

In 1922, a tourist lost control of his car, hurtling into a pool hall, rolling down a flight of stairs and smashing into the entrance of the Ordean hotel cafe, wrecking half the window.

The hotel was in the headlines again a year later when an old feud erupted into a gunfight in the hotel dining room.

“Matt Miers, aged 50, was shot and killed here late this afternoon (Dec. 2, 1923) by Harry Echardt, aged 40, in a gunfight” stemming from a long simmering grudge “over a woman” between the two local miners.

Echardt was initially charged with first degree murder, but the charge was dismissed after evidence was presented that Echardt shot Miers in self defense.

In March 1918, hotel guests were treated to quite a show as the undersheriff was chased through the backyard by a subpoena server!

Now this requires a little background. At some point earlier, Undersheriff Kresse had jailed a young man he thought was wanted in a crime. But, he had arrested the wrong person (a case of mistaken identity).

Angered at being jailed, the innocent young man filed suit, demanding $7,500 in damages for false imprisonment. The undersheriff was subpoenaed to testify in the case.

The subpoena server headed to the courthouse and found the undersheriff, but “no sooner had Mr. Kresse heard the title of the case, he frantically shot out the courthouse door, hastily climbed a high fence in the back of the Ordean hotel, and broke into a high run over the Missoula river bridge,” ignoring the shouted words of the server, reading the document aloud.

Fascinating stories.

For the old hotel, the end finally came in the early morning hours of December 2, 1940. “A defective flue in the third story of the weather-dry building” allowed a fire to race through the of the 50-year-old property. The whole structure collapsed within an hour.

Afterwards, old timers reminisced – telling newspaper reporters their memories of “a large dance hall with a stage for local talent shows, dances and school entertainments, especially at the holiday season.”

Others remembered miners “in rough clothing rubbing elbows in the bar with lumberjacks (and local townsfolk).”

So many stories, over so many years. See you next week!