Location Description and History

Towering above the corners of Aspen and San Francisco Streets, The Hotel Monte Vista stands as a true touchstone for all of Flagstaff and its citizens. Originally built in 1926 under a citizen subscription legislation, the Hotel Monte Vista soon became the place to stay for transcontinental travelers. For travelers and town folk alike, the hotel offered an oasis of lush surroundings and a chance to rub shoulders with the local and national elite. Located just one block north of famous Route 66, the Hotel Monte Vista has been home to thousands of adventurous and colorful characters, from bank robbers, to headlining Hollywood stars, Hotel Monte Vista has remained steadfast in its commitment to serve its patrons. Hotel Monte Vista is one of the few American Hotels built through public subscription. In 1924, V.M. Slipher, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, spearheaded a local fundraising campaign that resulted in a city voted ordinance which established a

municipal bond, held by the citizens of Flagstaff themselves, to build the Hotel Monte Vista. Tourism was a growing business in Flagstaff, and the town's leaders were concerned that not enough lodging was available to keep visitors in town long enough to spend their money.

Mr. Slipher not only pushed the idea through the citizenry, he also designed and oversaw much of the actual construction. Completed in 1927, the Hotel is today fully restored to its original splendor and beauty. The Hotel quickly became a popular spot for tourists and glamorous people from all over the world. A favorite place for locals to hang out, the phrase, "Meet me at the Monte V," was heard all over town. The Hotel Monte Vista had arrived!

In 1927, Mary Costigan became the first American woman to be granted a radio broadcasting license, and her three-hour radio show aired daily from her second floor studio at the Hotel Monte Vista, room 105. In 1931, a major Flagstaff bootlegging operation was put to an end by local officials. The main speakeasy: Hotel Monte Vista Lounge. From 1935-1940, Flagstaff residents Fred Nackard and Rex Gobel ran slot machines out of the hotel lounge and lobby, the only slot machines ever in Flagstaff.

After World War II, Hollywood glitterati favored Hotel Monte Vista. Shoeshiner, Gregory Martinez, and porter bellhop, Isaac Henderson, quickly amassed a national reputation, along with the Hotel Monte Vista, for having the best and friendliest service around. Both men were offered parts in Hollywood movies, but neither ever accepted, choosing to remain on staff. Barber, Samuel Cancinas, who worked out of the hotel for twelve years, was once flown to Phoenix upon special request to cut Harry Truman's hair. The ex-president stated he wanted the best, and knew he could get it from the Hotel Monte Vista. In the late 1950's, actor John Wayne reported seeing a friendly ghost in his hotel room. The ghost story quickly spread, and now more than fifty such stories circulate. In every case the ghosts are friendly and well behaved.

Over its illustrious years, Hotel Monte Vista has been home to several local and international prominent and famous people. Presidents and Hollywood stars alike have made the hotel their home away from home. From ghost stories, to tales of scandal, the Hotel Monte Vista endures into a new era and new spot of local and national popularity. Hotel Monte Vista is the longest publicly held commercial hotel in the history of America, finally selling to a private individual in the early 1960's.

Built on the corner of Aspen and San Francisco streets, the Hotel Monte Vista incorporated some of the Old Post Office, built in 1917 by the famous local Babbit Brothers and Tim Riordan. The remaining Old Post Office is still connected to the hotel and serves as a premier concert venue in Flagstaff, owned and operated by Jim Craven, owner of Hotel Monte Vista.

The Hotel Monte Vista, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, first opened its doors on New Year's Day, 1927. In the forties and fifties, when Western movies were popular, more than 100 were filmed in the Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, both close to Flagstaff. Because there weren't any accommodations in that locality, the stars made the Hotel Monte Vista their home away from home. Rooms are named after some of the famous guests that have stayed here. A few celebrities that hold this honor are: Bing Crosby, Jane Russell, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy and more. If you're a fan of old romantic movies, you can request to spend the night in the room where a scene from Casablanca was filmed. The hotel with a celebrated past not only has historical charm and character to offer, but a few ghosts as well. The "phantom bellboy" knocks at the Zane Grey Room announcing in a muffled voice, "room service." When the guests open the door, though, they find no one

"In 1970,"Ellen Roberts, the desk clerk, explained,"three men robbed a nearby bank and to celebrate, they decided to stop by our lounge and have a drink - even though one of the men had been shot during their escape. While having his drink, the wounded man died, and some feel he's the spirit that's haunting this area of the building."

Some repairs were needed after a fight had occurred in room 220. When his work was completed, a maintenance man turned off the light and locked the door. He returned in only 5 minutes to find the light back on, the television going full blast and the bed linens stripped. In the early 1980's, a strange, long-term boarder rented this room (he was known to hang raw meat from the chandelier) and when he passed away, his body wasn't recovered for two or three days. Was his ghost responsible for the upheaval that took place in the empty, locked room?

"When a father and son checked out of the Gary Cooper Room, the father made the comment that during the night, he suddenly sat straight up in bed feeling like someone was staring at him," Ellen recalled. "His son started to kid him but he was very sincere and kept stressing that he knew someone had been watching him. The red light district was south of the railroad tracks, not too far from the Hotel Monte Vista, and two prostitutes were murdered in that room. Another version of the story is that they died after they were thrown out the window." Could the "ladies of the night" still be looking for clients?

This hotel certainly has a variety of ghosts, all stubbornly refusing to check out. Other strange occurrences are the peculiar rings of the lobby telephone late at night, an image of a woman outside the Zane Grey Room and sounds of a man coughing continuously through the night. If you're not entertained by the permanent guests, you'll still have a great time listening to live music in the haunted cocktail lounge.

We arrived at the hotel around 1:00 and conducted interviews with the hotel's staff. We then started sweeping the hotel for EM fields, taking photographs as we went along. We started on the first floor and worked our way up.

No interesting EM fields were located during our visit.

Photographs

Click on the thumbnails to view the larger image

Nothing substantial was found in the hotel during this visit.