A little bit of Boulderado history for you today concerning an early owner and manager, William Beattie (seen left ~ photo from the Beattie family collection).Beattie took over from the Wallaces, who were the original leasees of the Boulderado, in 1912. The Boulder Daily Camera applauded the move, noting "Mr. Beattie comes very highly recommended as a gentleman of high character and as an up-to-date hotel man of over twenty years experience who will undoubtedly maintain the high standard which Wallace & Company have set up for the Boulderado." Beattie moved into the Hotel Boulderado with his wife (Bessie), son (Irwin), and family dog (Buster). While living in the hotel, the Beattie's bought their first car, a Hudson Six. Gasoline cost 28 cents per gallon, a car wash was $1, and monthly storage fees were $5. Beattie and Irwin took the car up to Flagstaff Mountain on one of their first trips, and Beattie later wrote to a friend "I did not have any serious accidents, but I nearly scared myself to death a time or two."
The Boulderado's nightly room rates at the time varied between $1 and $3, with special rates available by the week or month. One of the biggest expenses for the Boulderado then was coal -- up to 3.5 tons per day were used to heat and light the hotel and heat water for the guests. William Beattie was well-known for his professionalism, particularly with his dress code. He conducted his daily business in a three-piece suit complemented by a hat, gloves, cane, diamond stick pin, and spats on his shoes.
Spats
In 1917, Beattie transferred ownership and managerial duties to his assistant, Hugh Mark. Stay tuned to the Boulderado blog to learn more about Hugh in a future post!
