Prominent Visitors Of The Hotel

In a February 29, 1944, interview with J.W. Wiker published in “The Ponca City News”, when he announced his retirement from the Arcade Hotel to manage the Jens-Marie Hotel, he showed a deep interest in the small private dining room where he fed prominent visitors from all over the nation. Jim McGraw, Ponca City, republican national committeeman, and the Miller brothers frequently brought their guests to Wiker’s hotel to eat.

He remised one year when President William Howard Taft stopped by to consult with the Republican Party friends in Ponca City. 

Then there were others, among them Teddy Roosevelt during the time that he was President, Branch Rickey, of the St Louis Cardinals, humorist Will Rogers, Baseball Player Ty Cobb, William Jennings Bryan, well known politician who died in 1925; Irvin S Cobb and Rex Bench, the authors, and many who were drawn to the Arcade by local political friends or by the 101 Ranch.

During the days when the Miller brothers were organizing the 101 Wild West Show, around 1906, Wiker served meals and accommodated many of the circus and show folk who came from all over the nation to be interviewed by George Arlington, the show’s first manager. “He set up his headquarters here at the Arcade and was in town a number of months,” Wiker stated.

In addition to these celebrities, Wiker was a host to many guests of the Miller brothers, who would stay at the Arcade before starting what was then a long ride to the White House. Not infrequent visitors of Wiker were paying guest of the Tenderfoot Camp, an early day type of Dude Ranch founded by the Millers. “These people sometimes would tire of the rugged life and come to the hotel for a day or so and then return,” Wiker explained.

Once in the summer of 1905, the Santa Fe railroad promoted an excursion to the 101 Ranch’s first big rodeo. The event was being staged in connection with the meeting of the National Editorial Association in Ponca City and the Miller brothers had promised the a rodeo.

“The special trains began coming in early on the weekend, (the rodeo was on Sunday) and became so congested in the yards near the hotel that they could not be gotten out until Monday night, “ remembered Wiker. The Millers had thought they had provided enough food and water for the crowds, but they hadn’t counted on so many, and visitors on the ranch were without food and water in the hot summer.

The early economic development of the city’s business such as the Arcade, grocery and clothing stores, depended on the cowboys who came in from surrounding ranches and ranch visitors, according to Wiker. The boys would come in from the huge ranches, load up their wagons with several weeks of provisions, and then enjoy the town life for a few days. The town had a number of places especially established to take care of the ranch wagons during the men’s stay and was studded with saloons for their entertainment.

 | City Calendar | Community Calendar | School Calendar | Sports Calendar | Tourism Calendar |
All Calendars