Saint James hotel at Red Wing, Minnesota, is one of those mythical places with an interesting history. It nowadays is owned by the prestigious footwear brand Red Wing Shoes, which Corbeto’s Boots is official store in Barcelona, and whose boots are legendary known by their quality and lasting.
But let’s go back to the famous hotel that entitle this article. Its original building was built after the American Civil War, and the responsible were a group of investors from Connecticut. Was precisely designed and constructed by Edward P. Bassford between 1874 and 1875, and quickly became Minnesota’s Mississippi river best equipped and popular hotel.
The St. James, of classic Italian architecture, hosted both tourists and businessmen, but staying in its facilities went further than the conventional accommodation a hotel provides. For example, merchants staying at the St. James utilized the library to offer their products to possible buyers, while it was frequent that pregnant women settled at the hotel when the time to give birth was approaching.
But these are just two examples of what happened in this hotel with capacity to host 500 people, with an excellent cuisine, winery and reading rooms, laundry, hair salon and telegraph office. The St. James was scene of that time’s best orchestras wich performed concerts for the guests, many of them high society members, celebrities and influential personalities.
A walk-through St. James history
From that time’s former presidents and river boat captains to celebrities like Mark Twain, Bob Dylan and elite sportsmen among other personalities, the St. James was home of many histories and their protagonists.
Nowadays, and after 150 years of history, the St. James is an exclusive hotel, a local and homely business that has only had three owners since its creation. Its motto: excellence based upon the best of tradition, that resist passing of time.
All started when a group of Red Wing’s businessmen joined as investors to build the hotel. The reasons were practical: they realized that the city needed a place to host steam boat and railroad travelers. Back then Red Wing was Minnesota’ State fifth largest city and in 1893 was world’s biggest wheat market. EJ and FA Blood, known as “Blood Brothers” or “Ed and Fred” signed a five-year rental agreement with the proprietor and became hotel’s owners.
The grand opening took place during 1875’s Thanksgiving Day: the event was called “Blood’s Blow-Out”, that consisted on an eight-course menu, the first of them offering four different oyster varieties. More than seventy ingredients were involved in the rest of the meals and almost five hundred dinner guests enjoyed the menu, listened the speeches and danced during the party.
Keep in mind that St. James architects equipped with a lot of style its four stories structure: luxurious furniture, Brussels carpets in the main hall and British velvet at second floor’s ladies’ room.
It isn’t strange that grand opening’s night guests were amazed with hotel’ structure, that in addition offered that period’s modernities like steam heating, hot and cold tap water, gas on each floor and high-end kitchen.
A privileged location and an elite kitchen
Hotel achieved such a prestige that in 1877 the railroad adjusted its schedule to let their passengers have a meal at the St. James, as its chefs were very renowned. Being located at a very short distance from Red Wing’s Depot and steam boat docks, the hotel got every night full of travelers and hosts.
Thousands of people came to its facilities year-round, and a small balcony with access to hotel’s main street was chosen in 1878 like dais by president Rutherford B. Hayes to deliver his address.
Nowadays, the St. James is owned by Red Wing Shoe Company, a footwear brand as legendary as the hotel itself, which purchased in 1977 renovating and expanding it. Until little while ago the hotel had 61 guest rooms, each one exclusively decorated with the name of the river boats that went down the Mississippi. In 2020 was added a 62nd room, a new suite at Red Wing Iron Works old building.
As of today, the St James keeps offering to its guests a mix of old-style service, luxurious amenities and culinary delights that already offered at its grand opening day, more than 140 years ago. A luxury hotel with meeting rooms in Red Wing, Minnesota, located between the mythical Mississippi river and majestic cliffs. Like its owners state, “close to the bright lights and big cities, but at a world of distance at the same time”.
In 2019, the St. James was awarded Best Small Historic Hotel Award from Historic Hotels of America.
Bota trabajo cuero natural Red Wing con cordones y suela de goma para hombre
Botín acordonado Red Wing cuero marrón engrasado con suela de goma
Botas de trabajo Red Wing cuero marrón engrasado con plantillas acolchadas
