Central Hotel

New Haven is a river town with both its heritage firmly rooted at the banks of Missouri River. In the mid-1870s, a smaller commercial area was evolving high on a bluff overlooking the downtown and the river. Henry Tegeler and his wife Minnie, German immigrants transplanted from St. Louis, had been looking for a business opportunity. In 1879 they bu... ilt the Central Hotel near the corner of Wall and Maupin Streets, across from Grubbels store and opera house. At that time there were other accommodations available in town, but the new hotel with its spacious dining room and parlor soon became a favorite with railroad employees and traveling salesmen. When Henry Tegeler died in 1908, his widow continued to operate the Central Hotel in partnership with her younger sister. In 1919 Minnie Tegler sold the property to Ben Zeitzman, who sold the property to John and Viola McDonald in 1929. The McDonalds were new to the hospitality industry. It was not easy starting a business as the nation sank deeper into the Great Depression, but the young couple learned quickly and worked hard. John would often meet the train downtown in search of guests, and Viola started a small restaurant. Long-term boarders occupied two rooms, and the remaining three rooms were kept available for transient customers. Train crews and traveling drummers continued to be the most important source of business. Despite hard times, New Havens Central Hotel was a happy place during the Depression. Viola McDonald gave birth to two children there, and neighborhood children mingled freely with guests and boarders. Food service had become even more important since Grubels store was turned into a hat factory. Every Thursday the McDonalds would slaughter and fry thirty-fice chickens for hotel guests and locals who still had enough money to eat out. An octogenarian who worked for Viola at the age of eleven said that dinnertime was often an adventure because the McDonalds oldest son would frequently remove all the labels from cans stored in the cellar. John and ...Read More