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The Piney Hotel: 1941

September 1941. "Hotel in Big Piney, Wyoming." Last glimpsed here. Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

September 1941. "Hotel in Big Piney, Wyoming." Last glimpsed here. Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

See if You Can Guess

— after taking a nice long look at it, why the Big Piney Hotel only lasted a few more years after this photo was taken. I'll wait.

Watch That First Step

"Hey, who removed the balcony?", asked the man from his hospital bed.

The Hotel Tale

According to "Wyoming Tales and Trails", The hotel was constructed by Franklin Daniel Chapel (1873-1942). Chapel moved to Big Piney about 1912 and purchased the "Bucket of Blood" saloon from Floyd Norris, he then constructed the hotel. As can be seen from the attached photo and from second floor door, the hotel originally had a second floor porch which wrapped partially about the building.

The building to the left of the hotel with the BAR sign was the "Bucket of Blood," commonly called the "Bucket." The hotel was famous for its mountain trout.

The hotel, the Bucket, the city hall and jail all burned in August 1948. Several occupants of rooms on the second floor of the hotel were rescued by stockman and rodeo cowboy Ross Meeks.

Camp Big Piney

There's a sign for Camp Big Piney outside the hotel. The camp was run by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was a spike or satellite camp for Camp Fremont, one of the first CCC camps. When this photo was taken in September, 1941, the camp was starting to close down for the winter. It didn't reopen in 1942 - many of the CCC recruits joined the armed forces. It looks bleak:

GM Territory

"Five out of Five"
From left to right: 1941 Chevy Master Deluxe, 1938 Chevy Half Ton, 1941 Chevy Master Deluxe Coupe, 1929 Pontiac Coupe, 1940 or 1941? Chevy Master Deluxe.

"No hats allowed in bar"

Was it a thing during the depression to leave one's hat outside a bar?
Or, was it just so windy that men's hats randomly blew off their heads and landed on benches and cars?

New Frontier Hardware & Hotel

A slightly different name and appearance today:

New Frontier Hardware & Hotel

They did not oversell their product

The Piney Hotel, Café, & Bar were a good place to stop; just read their sign.
Not a great place.
Not the best place.
Not the only place (although I suspect it may have been).
Just a good place ... plus it's right in front of you.

I wouldn't change it.

Quick exit

Ask for our special suite with Express Checkout.

Wrong Hat

This one is just before the one with the cranky guy. The hat on the bench is the same, but the dog is still on his way (he's in front of the car near the cafe door). Don't see the cranky guy but somebody is emerging to the left of the hotel building in a dark hat. The pickup is already there.

[You missed a hat. Cranky Guy is standing next to the dog. - Dave]

Yup--I see it now ...

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