HOTELS AND MOTELS. El Paso's first hotel was the Union House, built by John and Eli Bennett in late 1856 at the northwest corner of First and Cherry Streets. W. R. Willis conducted the hotel for seven or eight years before it was converted into a residence. It was re-opened by Warner and Hart as the City Hotel, and it mysteriously burned December 3, 1872. After the fire, a store building just north of the hotel site was cut in two and a part moved to the hotel lot, both buildings being converted into residences. The corner house, with some changes, remains; the other was razed to make way for the R. W. Robinson house, now Lucille Stitt Holt's home.
The Pennsylvania House, now the Parkside Apartments, was built by John Cody before 1869. It ran as a hotel for some years, some reports saying the wide porches and basement were used for a bee garden. It became a boarding house, and then a residence.
The Mansion House on Front Street at Cherry where the El Paso Theatre now stands, was built by W. R. Willis in 1864 and 1865, and was operated under various titles: Central House, Johnston House, Pendelton House, Ritter Hotel and the El Paso House. It was burned in the fire which destroyed the east block October 10, 1882 and was never rebuilt.
The old James H. Wathen home is now the Elms Motel.
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