With a history that dates to 1866, The Continental Hotel is a charming old building. But history is more than just beautiful architectural details. To get the full impact, it helps to imagine what the building and the city was like in years past. To think about the feet that treat our halls in eras long gone.
Using digital newspaper articles and other resources made available by our friends at the Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum, we know of many influential figures in American culture and history that set foot inside The Continental Hotel to dine, speak, or sleep.
In approximate chronological order based on when they lived in or visited Centerville, Iowa, the following are well-know individuals who made their mark on the history of The Continental Hotel. Some of them you may have heard of. Others may be new to you. All have interesting stories you should know:
Jesse and Frank James were infamous outlaws and leaders of the James-Younger Gang.
In June 1871, legend has it that James and gang members stayed at The Continental overnight. On June 3, 1871, the James gang rode to nearby Corydon and robbed Ocobock Brothers’ Bank.
As they rode out of Corydon with $10,000, they passed a large town meeting at the local Methodist church. Unable to restrain themselves, James, Frank and their gang shouted to the crowd, “You better check the bank!”
Susannah McKee was known as the first businesswoman in Centerville. She and her husband, Alexander, constructed the Jefferson House Hotel in 1866.
On February 9, 1893, a furnace in the basement of the hotel started a massive blaze in the hotel, which had 100 guests at the time. Susannah McKee stayed in the building to evacuate her guests. She was forced to jump from a third-floor window. She died shortly after from her injuries.
A group of local women commemorated McKee by commissioning a portrait of her and displaying it later that year at the Chicago World’s Fair.
William Frederick Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman born in Le Claire, Iowa. He founded Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, a show that displayed cowboy themes and
episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show came to Centerville on September 29, 1899. According to the local paper, “Never has Centerville entertained a larger and more noisy crowd.”
Booker T. Washington was an educator, author, orator, and influential leader for African-American rights.
On January 20, 1900, Washington dined and stayed at The Continental Hotel after delivering a speech to a standing-room-only crowd at the Centerville armory.
In his speech, Washington described how despite being born into slavery, he had gained an education and become an educator himself. He encouraged the audience, made of white and black attendees alike, to work together towards a more equitable future.
Francis Marion Drake was a merchant, lawyer, banker, and politician. He became the 16th Governor of Iowa.
Drake’s life reads like an epic novel. He sought his fortune in the California gold rush, was shipwrecked in the Pacific, fought in the Civil war where he survived capture by the Confederates, and helped bring railroad service to the Midwest.
In 1903, Governor Drake gifted Centerville it’s public library. This building with the beautiful dome still serves as the library today. Governor Drake is buried in Centerville’s Oakland Cemetery.
Williams Jennings Bryan was a politician from Nebraska that was a three-time candidate for President of the United States. Called “The Great Commoner,” he also argued against teaching evolution in schools as the prosecutor in the Scopes Trial.
Bryan visited Centerville and nearby towns multiple times campaigning. We know he dined at The Continental, and that he stayed overnight at the hotel on Saturday August 12, 1916. He registered in room 18 (which no longer exists as a single room) “and immediately retired; therefore scarcely anyone knew he was here.”
Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer whose achievements were especially notable because she was deaf and blind. Her teacher, Anne
Sullivan, taught teaching Helen to sign and speak.
Keller and Sullivan spoke in Centerville on August 20, 1916. The fact that Keller “knows what she talks about,” was noted in the local paper’s description of her speech, since “common knowledge” of the era incorrectly correlated physical disabilities with a lack of intelligence.
Oscar V. Payne was an inventor and engineer.
His most famous invention was the Thompson submachine gun, aka “Tommy Gun.” The weapon, while favored by soldiers, criminals, police, and civilians alike, is infamous for its use by Chicago gangsters of the 1920s.
Payne was born and raised in Centerville. He no doubt joined his family for numerous meals at the popular restaurant at The Continental Hotel.
Norma Talmadge was an actress and movie producer of the silent film era.
In 1921, Talmadge produced and starred in the film The Wonderful Thing. The film, about the daughter of an American hog farmer who brings a dose of reality to an aristocratic English family on the decline, was partly filmed in Appanoose County.
During filming, Talmadge and other stars of the film were guests of The Continental Hotel. A mural on the Centerville square commemorates Talmadge’s film today.
James Cash “J.C.” Penney was a businessman and entrepreneur who founded the J.C. Penney stores in 1902.
A J.C. Penney opened in Centerville September 12, 1922 and operated on the square for over 70 years.
Penney made multiple visits to Centerville to check in on the operations of his store here. He also attended two Pancake Days, even flipping pancakes himself.
Rosa Cunningham was an was an American soldier, part of the first group of women to serve in the Army in roles other than nurses, and civil rights advocate.
Cunningham was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in part for her role as president of the Iowa chapter of the Business and Professional Women (BPW).
Centerville’s BPW club was founded at The Continental in 1928; Cunningham was present as 120 women signed the chapter’s charter in the hotel dining room. The Continental provided meeting space for the local BPW for many years.
Fred "Killer" Burke was an armed robber and contract killer responsible for many crimes during the Prohibition era. He is considered a prime suspect in the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929.
Burke, under an assumed name, married a local girl, Bonnie Porter, at the Lutheran Church in Centerville in 1930.
While Burke’s habit of using pseudonyms means no one knows for sure, legend has it that he was a regular guest at The Continental as he shuttled across the Midwest committing crimes.
Mack Garner, was a jockey who won the 1934 Kentucky Derby as well as the 1929 and 1933 Belmont Stakes.
Garner began riding at the age of 14 and a year later was leading jockey in races won and purses earned.
Born and raised in Centerville, Garner hailed from a family of horse racers. Garner’s father and great-grandfather were jockeys, as were four of his five brothers and his nephew. A 1933 edition of the Daily Iowegian noted that despite his busy racing schedule, Garner returned to visit his hometown every year.
Himie Voxman was a musician, music pedagogue, university administrator, and composer. He is most well-known for his work for clarinet.
The Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa, where he attended school and worked as faculty and an administrator from 1933-1980, is named for him.
Voxman was born and raised in Centerville. Even then, he was torn between his love of music and love of science. He was recognized as the top of his class in both physics and geometry.
Countess Vera (Elgin) de Muller, known as Vera Martin, was one of the world’s top models in the 1920s and 30s.
Born and raised in Appanoose County, de Muller appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, and Saturday Evening Post. She gained her title upon marrying Count Marcel Francois de Muller.
Vera often returned to Centerville. On June 28, 1934, she appeared on the stage of The Continental’s sister property, The Majestic Theatre, to speak about her life as a model.
Albert “Al” Lodwick was the flight operations manager for Howard Hughes’ epic 3-day 19-hour 17-minute flight around the world. Lodwick is credited with many innovations in radio communications, fuel depots, and weather reporting that laid the foundation for modern international air travel.
A 1934 Daily Iowegian article tells with breathless delight how though the marvel of modern aviation, Lodwick was able to eat breakfast in St. Louis, lunch in Kansas City, and dinner with his parents in Mystic, a six-mile drive from the Centerville airport, all in one day.
Simon Estes is an operatic bass-baritone. He was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve widespread success.
He has performed at the world’s most prestigious opera houses in some of the most challenging operatic roles. Notably, he sang the title role in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and he sang Porgy in the New York Metropolitan Opera’s first production of Porgy and Bess.
Estes was born in Centerville and his father worked at The Continental Hotel.
William Mark Felt Sr. was Associate Director of the FBI. Felt served as an anonymous informant, nicknamed “Deep Throat,” who provided reporters information about the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
On May 22, 1962, Continental Airlines Flight 11 exploded over Centerville, killing all 45 people on board. Felt, then in charge of the FBI’s Kansas City field office, stayed at The Continental while investigating the crash. (Which was caused by a suicide bombing committed as insurance fraud.)
Rocco “Rocky Marciano” Marchegiano was a professional boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956 and is the only heavyweight champion in professional boxing history to retire undefeated.
Marciano was the inspiration behind the Rocky Balboa of the Rocky film franchise.
Marciano served as marshal of Centerville’s 1965 Pancake Day parade, at the invitation of Tony Varese, an Appanoose County-born insurance company president.
Then-Senator Joe Biden visited The Continental Hotel on a campaign stop on November 24, 2007. This was the second of his three Presidential campaigns.
During his visit, Biden spoke on his positions on the issues of the day, including the war in Iraq, health care, domestic violence and the environment.
Biden’s wife, now First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, followed up with her own visit to The Continental as part of the same campaign, on July 20, 2007.
Michelle Obama is a lawyer who served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
On November 28, 2007, Obama delivered a speech in the crowded lobby of The Continental Hotel as she campaigned for her husband, Barack Obama, who would later become the 44th President of the United States.
In her speech, Obama talked about wanting her two daughters to grow up in a country guided by hope, compassion, and empathy.
The above are some of our most well-known visitors—or if not known to you before, had interesting stories about their time in Centerville that might enrich your visit. But it is by no means a comprehensive list. Especially with the long history of the Iowa Caucuses, our small town seems to have had more than its fair share of political leaders stop in.
Below are other famous people who we know visited The Continental Hotel or lived in Appanoose County and passed our way:
We are always looking to deepen our historical knowledge of The Continental Hotel. If you know of someone else you think should be on our list, please contact admin@thecontinental.info.
