privy out back. Downstairs in the saloon
the cowboys could get a drink and a
home-cooked meal prepared on a
kerosene stove by the live-in proprietors.
Two blocks down was the livery sta-
ble. You know that once the horses had
been tended to there would have been
nothing that looked finer to those cow-
boys than the Hotel Ritchey. It had a
commercial district of South Front
Street was spared, having been built out
of adobe and the Hotel Ritchey, though
partially built with wood, was also
spared. One would certainly have been
able to feel the heat of the north side
flames from the front porch. Because the
Hotel Ritchey building is south of the
tracks and situated in an adobe-built
Photo courtesy of archives of the Big Bend, Bryan W ildenthal Memorial Library, Sol Ross state University
wide, two-story wraparound porch and
all the comforts a cowboy could want.
The Hotel Ritchey began as a four-
room adobe structure built in 1886 or
earlier, making it one of the very first
buildings in Alpine, a town that had
barely come into existence only three
years earlier. A description of the town at
the time mentioned “a dozen houses,
three saloons, a hotel and rooming
house, a livery stable, a butcher shop and
a drugstore, which also housed the post
office.”
The wooden additions to the Hotel
Ritchey came quickly as commerce and
the town grew with the railroad.
Commercial buildings also began
sprouting up on the north side of the
tracks on North Front Street (now called
Holland Avenue). These structures were
most often built with wood, while struc-
tures on the south side typically were
built using the traditional method of
adobe construction.
Twice in the early 1900s fires took
hold north of the tracks and wiped out
the entire commercial district on North
Front Street, as the wood structures suc-
cumbed to fast-spreading, wind-
whipped flames. The corresponding
neighborhood, it has the distinction of
being the oldest hotel, oldest saloon, and
the oldest wood structure in Alpine.
Incidentally, almost all of the oldest
buildings in Alpine are south of the
tracks.
As the railroads made their way west
and towns sprang up, hotels like the
Ritchey would have been a common
sight near the train stations of those
towns. Basic amenities. Nothing fancy.
Just a bed, a hot meal and a stiff drink.
Later, as towns grew and self-made cat-
tle barons and railroad barons began fre-
quenting the little whistle stops along
the railroad, classier hotels like The
Paisano, The Holland, and The Gage
were built with the help of great archi-
tects and abounding resources, and for a
while the baron hotels and the working-
man hotels did well. But with the post-
WWII mid-20th century boom,
economies and needs changed. Motor
courts became the new choice for travel-
ers on a budget, and the country shifted
from train travel to the automobile. The
baron hotels had a tough time too, but
at least they were considered to have
architecturally redeeming qualities. The
no-frills hotels like the Ritchey quickly
fell into disrepair and most are now
touch with the owner of the Hotel
gone.
Ritchey building and before I knew
Though the Ritchey received Texas
what hit me I owned it. If money for
Historic designation in 1965, there were
restoration projects was scarce in the
no funds available for restoration and
1980s, it was completely nonexistent in
repair. The owners at the time tried
2012. The world was still dazed and suf-
appealing to the county, the state and
fering from the recession and the
the federal government but by the 1980s
restoration of the Hotel Ritchey was
it was looking like too much time had
going to be a monumental task. I cer-
passed, making the task more and more
tainly didn’t have the kind of money this
daunting. The porch fell off. Then the
was going to take, but I had tools and a
paint fell off. The roof was no longer
skill set, so in earnest I began replacing
keeping the elements out and plywood
doors, window sashes and window-
covered the windows and doors. For the
panes. I put together a written proposal
next 20 years it sat there on the corner of
with the help of the Small Business
5th and Murphy, decaying. Vandals and
Development Center. My friends helped
thieves added their touches and the
too, and Betty was a constant friend
future was looking bleak. At one point
who offered pep talks when I became
a demolition permit was applied for,
doubtful.
which would have been reasonable since
So, for the next five years, I applied
the place had become a hazard. But in
for every loan or grant that I could find
the early 2000s a new owner put a new
and shamelessly put my proposal for the
tin roof and a coat of paint on it, and
Hotel Ritchey in front of anyone who
that helped immensely to buy the old
would listen. Finally, in the spring of
building some time, though 10 more
2017 a friend put me in touch with
years would pass before the next serious
someone who put me in touch with an
attempt would be made to revive it.
investor willing to take a chance. After
2012. I had been living down on the
that everything moved at twice the
river in Ruidosa for the past three years,
speed of light. A fantastic group of peo-
having left Austin for so many reasons.
ple came together to form a true dream
In Austin I owned a design-build com-
crew, and over the next 10 months we
pany and we did a little bit of every-
rode hard and slept on the trail putting
thing, but the most fun we had was sav-
that building together. We were able to
ing old houses, usually ones about to be
open for business on March 30th, 2018,
torn down or that
approximately 68 years
had been otherwise
after the doors closed
forgotten or over-
on
the
Hotel
looked in the frenzy
Ritchey.
that is the Austin real
The Hotel Ritchey,
estate market. Some
102 East Murphy
we moved to new
Street, Alpine, though
locations because the
only partially restored,
land under them had
is one of only a handful
been sold; beautiful
of railroad hotels still
old farm houses or
standing in Texas and
little bungalows that
the only one in the
were in the way of Photo courtesy of Texas historical C ommission Trans-Pecos that is
the new owner’s
open to the public.
plans. I was hooked. I loved old build-
The hotel portion is still under con-
ings and I loved saving them. So passing
struction, but The Ritchey Wine
through Alpine I couldn’t help but
Saloon, Beer Garden and Cafe has been
notice the building on the south side of
meticulously and lovingly restored and
the tracks just sitting there, patiently
is open for business. Come for a visit
waiting.
and step back in time. In the six months
It was not hard to find out who I
since the Ritchey reopened it has
needed to talk to if I was interested in
become a local watering hole, social cen-
taking my turn at trying to save it: Betty
ter, music venue, and a great place to
Gaddis Yndo. Betty had been working
enjoy a homemade meal. Hours are
for years on the revitalization of the old-
Tuesday – Thursday, 5pm-10pm, Friday
est commercial district in Alpine on
and Saturday, 5pm-midnight, Sunday
Murphy Street and it was starting to
5pm-10pm. For further information call
show. Murphy Street was coming alive
432-244-7560 or visit us at www.hotel-
again after decades of decline. Betty is a
ritchey.com.
force to be reckoned with. She put me in
Cenizo
Fourth Quarter 2018
13