MAYO HAYES O'DONNELL LIBRARY
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A Mystery In History

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The Washington Hotel, Monterey California

Washington Hotel Register

MHOD has an original Guest Register from the Washington Hotel.  The Register dates from the early 1860's and includes some mysterious entries as you will see in the right column below.  Click on the images to enlarge them.  A little background is provided by the following excerpt from:

Claire Martin CAGenWeb Monterey County Coordinator
.

The Old Washington Hotel was California's first hotel and stood on the northwest corner of Washington and Pearl streets. The building was erected in 1832 and for a few years was the private residence of Don Enrique Montenegro. The hotel, which was fifty feet in width and over two hundred feet in length was built of adobe in 1840, the adobe being obtained from the rear of the San Carlos Church. The trees which were cut down to make way for the building were used to support the roof. The building would accommodate over a hundred lodgers.

In 1849 during the Constitutional Convention the hotel was leased for $1200 per month, its rates being then $200 a month without board.

The Old Washington Hotel was torn down in 1914-15, it too becoming a victim of progress.


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Cover page for the Washington Hotel Guest Resister.

The first curious entry is to the right.  Jeff Davis of Richmond!  Really?  There can't be many Jeff Davis' in Richmond.  Is it Richmond, California?
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Jeff Davis again!  Going Home to Richmond?
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Jeff Davis again.
OK, is this a joke?  Is it a hoax?  Is it a message?

We know that about this time, Jeff Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America, lost a child.  One of his young children fell from a balcony in Richmond and died from the injuries.  Jeff Davis was reported to be at home when this child died.

So, what are these register entries about?  We don't know the answer, but invite the interested to investigate and educate us.
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Another odd entry is Sam Houston.  Sam Houston "THE FATHER OF TEXAS" was already dead at this point in time, but he had a son named Sam Houston.  Sam Houston, the younger, was a Confederate soldier, wounded in battle, captured by the Union Army, and then released under promise not to fight further in the cause of the South.

It is not impossible that Sam Houston became involved in supporting the Confederate cause in other ways, e.g. as an arms merchant, buying where he could and shipping via Mexico to the Southern States.  This could be someone unrelated to anything to do with the South, or it could be a joke, hoax, or something else.

Any guess is good, as we don't know the answer to either the Jeff Davis nor the Sam Houston entries.

Picture
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  • Home
  • Picture File Collection
    • Monterey Peninsula
    • Adjacent Areas of Monterey County
    • Historic Figure Portrait Gallery
    • Further Afield
  • Laura Bride Powers
  • Colonel Roger Fitch
    • 11th Cavalry Commandants Gallery
    • Colonel Roger Fitch Memorial
  • Mayo Hayes O'Donnell
    • MHAA Tribute to Mayo
    • Monterey Peninsula Diary
    • Mayo's Life in Photos
    • Mr. William O'Donnell's Obituary
    • Auntie Mayo's Old Adobe House
    • History of Monterey by Mayo Hayes O'Donnell
  • Amelie Elkinton
    • The Amelie Elkinton Collection
    • Vistas and Street Scenes
    • Historic Buildings
    • Post Cards and Calendar Pages
    • Historic Figure Portrait Gallery
    • Del Monte Properties Advertising Photos
    • Monterey Fishing Industry
    • Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
    • Misc Artifacts
    • Negatives
  • Jacks Family
    • David Jacks
    • Mary Christina Jacks
    • Janet Jacks
    • Will Jacks
    • Margaret Jacks
    • Lee Jacks Page
    • Romie Jacks
    • Vida Jacks
    • Mary Romie Jacks
    • Christina Jack
    • The Hoover Connection
    • David Jacks - Land Baron
    • The Kennth Jack Library
  • Book Holdings
  • Bios, Archives, & Periodicals
    • MHOD Resident Files >
      • Available Biographical Information
      • Adobes
      • Historic Houses
    • The Anthony Family Collection >
      • The Anthony Family Ancestral Gallery
      • J. C. Anthony
      • J. C. Anthony, Jr.
      • Edna Joy Anthony
      • Edith Anne Anthony
      • Harold MacLean (Joy's Husband)
      • Schools Days
      • Picnics and Excursions
      • Buildings and Construction Projects
      • Stereopticon Images
    • The Hellam Collection >
      • Hellam Photo Collection
      • "The Hellams of Monterey" Brochure
      • Transcription of an Oral History of the Monterey Police Court
    • Wilford Rensselar Holman - Holman's Department Store
    • Olive Isbell - First "American" Teacher in California
    • Evelyn Diaz Hinckley
    • The Minnie Coyle Collection >
      • Mayor Minnie Coyle Commemorative Brochure
    • The Wayne Edwards Collection >
      • World War I Era Photos
      • Wayne Edwards Letters
    • 100 Story Project >
      • 100 Story Project - Agricultural History
      • 100 Story Project - Bay and Marine Ecosystem
      • 100 Story Project - Maritime History
      • 100 Story Project - Monterey Peninsula History
      • 100 Story Project - Art
      • 100 Story Project - Music and Music History
      • 100 Story Project - Food and Wine
      • 100 Story Project - Monterey Potpourri of Stories
    • Lists and Misc
    • Periodicals >
      • Monterey County Archaeological Society Quarterly
      • The Pacific Historian
      • Noticias del Puerto de Monterey
    • Doud House Archive >
      • Artists Biographical Files
      • Poster Collection >
        • Adobe Tour Posters & Programs
        • Jo Mora Posters
        • Misc Posters
        • Poster Artists
  • Postcards
  • History Links
  • Contact