Hotel Turkey

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll take it from there. Now, Turkey, Texas, out in Hall County, it's the kind of town that knows what it wants to be. And back in 1927, what it wanted to be was bigger.

The kind of place where a man with a suitcase and a handshake could get a good night's sleep and conduct his business proper. So they built the Hotel Turkey. Twenty guest rooms, a porch dressed up with brick archways, decorative brickwork running up a solid two-story frame; this wasn't just a place to hang your hat.

This was a statement. The business leaders of that young railroad settlement put it right out there for every railroad traveler, every salesman, every rancher who rode into town: we are going somewhere, and you are welcome along for the ride. They even set aside extra rooms for community functions, because ambition in a small Texas town has always been a communal sport.

The Hotel Turkey opened its doors and said, in the language of mortar and brick and twenty waiting rooms: this settlement is growing, and don't you forget it. Whether the growth came roaring in the way they hoped, well, the marker doesn't say. But the hotel still stands.

Two stories. Brick archways. All that quiet, stubborn optimism baked right into the walls.

What the marker says

Built in 1927 to provide lodging for railroad travelers, salesmen, and ranchers who came to town on business, the Hotel Turkey also served as a symbol of the growth business leaders hoped would characterize the young railroad settlement. The hotel opened with 20 guest rooms and extra rooms for community functions. The 2-story structure features decorative brickwork and a porch with brick archways. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1985