The Totty Hotel
The Totty Hotel
The Totty Hotel was built in 1893. Mr. Will Totty’s family lived in the south wing of the main floor and the north wing of the main floor was rented for special purposes. In 1894 the post office occupied part of this rental space. A barber shop, a millinery shop and a drummer’s room for traveling salesmen also occupied the ground floor. Other rooms were rented out for town parties. The kitchen area was in a separate building to reduce the danger of fire in the hotel. The barber shop (Tonsorial Parlor) was run by J.W. Caskey and featured hot and cold baths. In 1894, Mr. Totty had made arrangements with the railroad to pipe water to the hotel from the railroad water tank located in front of Kennedy Bros. Grapeland was the only town on the line that the railroad allowed to use water from their tank. The water was piped to all the rooms and was used for bathing only.
The hotel was built around an open court with inside verandas looking down on a beautiful flower garden. The dining room was located in the rear and the trains stopped in Grapeland for the employees to eat in this hotel. The hotel was located on lots 5 and 6 of block 2 which tis the present-day location of Johnson Income Tax Service and Watson’s Game Room. A livery stable was located to the north of the hotel. The original owner of the Totty Hotel was Will Totty. The Totty’s moved to Palestine and the operation of the hotel was taken over by Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Hill for a short time. Mrs. Ursprung (Norma Murray’s Grandmother) operated it from 1906 to 1910. The hotel was then purchased by Frank Denton and became known as the Denton Hotel. In 1915 it was leased to T.W. Marshall who in turn leased it to Mrs. J.F. Garrett until September of 1917. The Marshalls then resumed operation from Mrs. Garrett and bought the hotel. The hotel burned in about 1925.