Site of
The St. James Hotel

   Joseph Alexander Kemp (1861 - 1930),
a Wichita Falls merchant, and
Morris Lasker (1840 - 1916), a native
of Prussia who later served as 
state senator from Galveston,
formed a partnership in 1892
for the construction of a hotel
at this site. Built by Myles
O'Reilly, the three-story St.
James Hotel was completed
one year later and became the
center of area social events.
Guests were attracted by the
good food and music of
a hotel orchestra. Business began
to decline as new hotels opened
in the area and in 1929 the
building was demolished. 
                                                       (1980)

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   The free-standing marker is located between Ohio and LaSalle streets, 500 Seventh Street, Wichita Falls, Texas, 76301.  
    33-degrees, 54' 52.2" N 98-degrees, 29' 20.2" W

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