THE ATLAS HOTEL
By Charles F. Sullivan
Referring to the Sports section, page 7 of the Dayton News Sunday Nov 25th 1945, there is a picture of the former Atlas Hotel at the N E corner of Ludlow and Third streets, which was built in 1893.
It received its name from Atlas Stout who lived at 324 W Second street until his death. He was a partner in the firm of Stout Mills and Temple doing business as the Dayton Globe Iron Works, located at the S W corner of Bayard and Ludlow, in a long, mostly one story brick factory building and was one of the first iron foundries in this city, but the foundry has been removed. This was operated by water power, taking the water form the canal and wasting it into the river. In early days, this was a very prosperous concern making water wheels and shipping both incoming and outgoing freight by canal and loading it right across the street from the factory for this was before the day of railroads. Later a brick office building was erected at the N W corner of Bayard and Ludlow which is now used as a residence. The factory is now in the control of the Coca-Cola Co.
We lived about a square west of Mr Stout and his family, so I would see him sitting out in front of his home in the shade of his home and the trees, and his full beard and hair, both perfectly white made a beautiful picture. His daughters, not very young, were always watching to attend to his every need. The old home looks just like it did then, except that it is very much run down, the former white paint is yellow with age and the lawn west of the house is now a parking lot.
Since my father’s law office was located on Third where the Gibbons Arcade now is, I passed the corner where the hotel now stands frequently and there were three building upon it, but none were log cabins. At the corner was a frame structure made of sawed lumber of native timber and used as a shop by a locksmith, probably the only one in the city.
North of that on Ludlow street was a frame cottage, probably two rooms and occupied by Mrs Stout and her son Henry, with whom I attended school, usually called Harry. Both of these buildings were black with age, for I do not they ever had any paint upon them.
North of this was a two story brick occupied by Dr Shaw a veterinarian doctor, who had quite a fine practice. Henry Stout became the agent of the John Hancock Life Insurance Co and at this death he passed it on to his son of the same name.
The panic struck us in 1893, while I was in the coal business at the Old Isaac Davis yard where the Borden Milk co is now situated at Fifth and Wyandot streets, and was agent for the Akron Pressed Brick Co. Akron, Ohio and I sold the pressed brick used in this building, to Orion Stout, brother to Atlas. He lived on Fourth Street just west of the present News building, now a parking lot and soon to be a part of the proposed new Postoffice.
The factory making these brick was located upon the Valley railroad between Akron and Cleveland and this road is now a part of the B & O system. The contractors for the brick work was Stainrook, Hiddeson and Teigler. These brick war very hard and impervious to water so the dust collecting upon this building is washed away by the next rain.
I also sold the same kind of brick to John Klee for his building at First and Patterson Blvd, now used by the Gallaher Drug Co as its supply depot. Also I sold the same kind of brick, rock faced to the Trinity Reformed Church at the corner of Green, Logan and Jefferson streets and is now used by the Gospel Tabernacle.
Chas F. Sullivan
112 Wyoming
Dayton9, Ohio.
