PITTMAN HOTEL

    Located on the site of the first business in De Leon, the Pittman Hotel was the third hotel constructed on the site.   E.A. Waldrop’s Star Hotel burned about 1890 and was replaced by Richard B. Kee’s De Leon Hotel which also burned in 1900.  Benjamin J. Pittman Sr. who initially came to De Leon from Cisco in 1893 during a major drouth, built this hotel in 1901.   The hotel faced Texas Avenue on the southwest corner of La Salle.  At that time the depot was located in the middle of Texas Avenue and there was nothing between the north (right in photo) side of the hotel and the rails.  Notice the horse trough on the left in what would have been in or close to the middle of Texas Avenue.  Also notice a swing located on the front porch.  The above photograph was taken in 1904.

     Pittman who ran the First National Bank, leased to R.B. Kee for a period of time and then Pittman’s brother Tom took over operations.  After a few years, B.J. and his wife again took over its operation before selling it to H.W. Locke (see Airplane Crash).  Locke, in turn sold the hotel to J.M. Lambert in 1917.  The Pittmans had a home immediately west of the hotel before constructing a new home around 1917.

    Twelve rooms of the hotel were torn away in the early 1930s (probably the rear section visible on the left in the above photo) and were replaced with six cottages.  One wing of six  rooms was removed in 1938 and replaced with more cottages.  That left 12 of the original rooms.   The remainder of the building was torn down soon after World War II.  Comanche County Tractor is located on the site today.

A photo of the Pittman Hotel probably taken in 1906 while the William Dale family was visiting De Leon.  Mrs. Dale is the third lady from the left with the large hat.   Their daughter is to the left of Mrs. Dale standing along the fence.  Mr. Dale is the first man on the left.  Mr. Pittman is probably the second man from the right.  The boy on the left at the fence is probably B.J. Pittman Jr. and on the right his bother Ralph.   Their sister Phynis, is the girl on the left at the fence.

A much later photograph of the hotel.  Notice the trees are now taller than the roof of the building.  The picket fence has been replaced and the sidewalk has been constructed.  The old swing remains on the front porch behind the middle tree.