Experience Kansas: Circa late 1800's The Historic Wolf Hotel Ellinwood, Kansas

In 1894 John Wolf built The Wolf Hotel as an addition to the Delmonico Hotel, which stood just north of the building. U.S. Highway 56 runs tight near the hotel. Across the street is the Ellinwood train depot that is now the American Legion, post 320. This depot was constructed after the first depot burnt to the ground after being struck by lightening in June 1902. An article on this fire is located in the June 20, 1902 edition of The Daily Item, Great Bend, Kansas. You can feel the history and it's not hard to picture the Santa Fe Trail that would have crossed here before the train and highway. The soil has the stories of past adventures to a new start for many pioneers. If only we could hear the stories in the western Kansas wind.......

Chris McCord purchased the hotel in 2013 and has brought it back to a five room hotel where you are treated to a unique opportunity to experience a historic hotel without the crowd or noise of other patrons. The rooms are period to the hotel's birth with modern amenities. Our room for the night was the Wedding Room. The room has a king size bed with a private bathroom. We could have stayed in another room with double beds but the bathroom was shared with another room. The most expensive room at $120 is the Suite, that has plenty of room, a private bath and a kitchen area. This hotel would be a great idea for a group of friends to rent the entire hotel. The rooms are on the second floor. The stairs are impressive. Wide, wooden and worn from traveler's from a time past weary from their journey to western Kansas. The stairs were the last obstacle to a soft bed.

Researching the hotel I found an article in The Great Bend Register on 11 February 1899 showing the need to carefully maneuver the stairs.

Do you think the hotel is haunted? A few stories of past tragic events are part of the tour offered. The ambiance is set for a good haunting, maybe you will experience something while staying or having a few drinks in the speakeasy bar under the hotel with use of the tunnels to journey to.

Barton County Democrat, January 5, 1900

Ellinwood's story is the classic western Kansas opportunity. Southern German Bavarian settler's with their customs. In 1875 a brewery was established, one of the first in western Kansas. In 2020 construction on U.S. Highway 56 unearthed part of the tunnel system that led from the hotel area to the brewery. Bottles and other artifacts were recovered and are on view at the Ellinwood Museum, a short walk from the hotel. In 1880 the town is described as almost a German town exclusively, and everything is conducted according to German ideas. The businessmen with scarcely an exception are all German. They have their saloons, where they meet for conviviality and their brewery where their beer is manufactured. According to those who gave our underground tunnel tour there were up to 11 saloons in the tunnel system.

The tunnel system is one of the only remnants left for those of us wanting to see a piece of Kansas history. Many towns in Kansas had underground tunnels however Ellinwood is the only location we've come across in Kansas that has a small portion of the tunnel system available for us to experience. As a child I remember the tunnels in McPherson, about an hour east of Ellinwood however they were closed up decades ago. Even Wichita had a tunnel system, one that would have let patrons leave the Broadview Hotel and head to the Delano District. Today all you can see there are the cement bricks where the entrance once was.

The Ellinwood tunnels developed over the years into a variety of storefronts and shops including sample rooms, bathhouses, gambling dens, saloons, meat storage, and even brothels. Take the tour to see what's left of the bathhouse and other storefronts.

Ad for The Ellinwood Brewery

Walk to the speakeasy bar, underground.

Outside entrance to the speakeasy bar. Located at the northeast corner of the hotel.

Inviting sign while you pass the hotel on U.S. Highway 56

Restaurants are not plentiful in Ellinwood. Great Bend has a great option on their east side, about a 15 minute drive from the hotel. HandleBar and Grill had a great waitstaff who worked together to provide quick service for dinner. The chicken fried chicken was enough to feed two and was by far one of the best I've eaten. Price was reasonable.

Bring your own dinner and cook in the kitchen area available to the patrons. Afterwards head down for a few drinks to the speakeasy.

In Ellinwood the American Legion, across from the hotel has events and food options listed on their Facebook page. We didn't venture over however from researching their Facebook Page they seem to have some unique events. One event that was posted for April 2021 was "Quail and Chukar Feed."' Growing up in Kansas I've had my fair share of Quail but never Chukar. Anyone interested in wild game & supporting the American Legion should keep this in mind. I hope they offer it up next year as I would like to attend. Other food options listed on their Facebook page are for Thursday's. Menu's including burgers and tacos appear to be the go-to. I didn't see the Legion open on the weekend when we visited and it didn't appear to be a viable option for grub for a weekend getaway.

To end, On June 1909 a group of men went to Ellinwood the occasion being the celebration of the opening of the Wolf Hotel. The ratification was held in the Wolf grove where a fine luncheon was served. Most of the citizens of Ellinwood attended. The real fine thing on the bill of fares was the smear cheese made by Mrs. Wolf. Smear cheese is the German word for dry curd cottage cheese. We may make a smear cheese cake to take out on our next adventure to The Wolf Hotel.

To more information, visit the hotel's website, https://www.historicwolfhotel.com/.