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Dillinger Days |
After a
long, dusty ride through the sizzling desert, John Dillinger would have found
the decidedly western trappings of the elegant TapRoom supremely inviting. “Puttin’ on the Ritz’ might have been playing
on the jukebox next to the pleasant WWII Vet who sat there every night until giving
in to the pleadings of his tortured soul in room 214. He was not the first and
certainly not the last guest to decide to extend his stay at the Hotel Congress
and is known to take exception when the staff tries to vacuum room 214 unless
they play 30’s music while doing so.
JohnDillinger however, had
no intention of staying anywhere for very long.
But as luck (or lack thereof) would have it a fire broke out in the
basement of Hotel Congress and traveled through the elevator shaft to
completely consume the entire third floor where Dillinger and his men were
staying. Though he and his men escaped unharmed, one of their suitcases
containing items of identification was pulled from the inferno by an intrepid
firefighter and the gang was promptly and famously apprehended by Tucson’s (earliest)
Finest.
The third floor
was never rebuilt and to counter the loss of revenue with only forty rooms
remaining, the Hotel Congress was
brilliantly transformed into a veritable hotspot for dining and entertainment;
including gambling, back in the day. To this day the lively tradition endures
with events going on most days and every night.
So you may
never hear the laughter of the children who scamper across the upstairs hall
and (presumably) belong to the cheery maid; her arms laden with fresh linens,
as she slips into guest rooms without ever opening a door. But you may possibly run across a vintage
butter knife or two, absently left by Vince, who arrived one day and stayed for
the next thirty-six years doing odd jobs with tools he pilfered from the
kitchen. The staff will probably tell you that you won’t find a loose screw
anywhere!
A highlight to some and a worry to others is
that pesky bullet hole in the closet of room 242. It seems a pretty, young
barmaid seeking refuge from some ugly trouble with the law chose to trade her
earthly existence for that of the spirit world where she now gazes wistfully
out of a second floor window. To be fair, speculation still circulates as
to the actual shooter since the hotel was teeming with cops at the time.
I hesitate
to say “lastly,” because well, life seems to still go on (and on) here, but if
you’re one of the fortunate few who get to see her, it is assumed the regal
visage of the well-dressed woman who smells like roses and surveys the lobby from
the top of the stairs is a former owner; checking on her staff.
I can
personally attest to the delicious food and delightful entertainment but I’ve
never actually stayed in any of the rooms. Would you? Would you consider a late
night Flashlight Tour?
Sounds like a very interesting history. I'd stay the night just to see what happened!
ReplyDeleteI hope to do just that one day, maybe bring along a screwdriver for Vince! :-)
DeleteSure, I'd do the flashlight tour. I'd even stay there if I had a friend along just for the security and the back-up confirmation if we did experience anything strange. I'm sure my wife wouldn't stay though.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Road trippin' with A to Z
Tossing It Out
Oh, I'd definitely need a companion as my bravado only goes so far -ha!
DeleteI'd love to go and do it all! But I'd want Pete along. If he saw Vince, he'd probably end up helping him with a project.
ReplyDeleteLife & Faith in Caneyhead
Haha! Your Pete sounds like mi vida! And nevermind that Vince is a ghost, as long as the project gets done :-)
DeleteI would do the flashlight tour! I would, I would! :D I'm a sucker for spooky things. And I'd stay there only if I wasn't alone.
ReplyDeletePretty cool, huh? Like Arlee says, we'd need confirmation of any sightings so going alone is out. Just think, at this rate we could rent all forty rooms and compare notes later!
DeleteWoo! I don't know, Deidre. I mean, I like to write about scary things sometimes, but the flashlight tour might just be a leetle too much for the Quanster. So, um, I'd probably pass, lol.
ReplyDeleteHaha! You could wait for us at the Tap Room! :-)
Delete