History of the Tioga Suites Hotel
In the 1920s the development of a major hotel facility was an essential priority for Chanute citizens to boost commercial
activity. By 1920 preparations were underway to finance construction of a new hotel. Dr. L.D. Johnson, Chase W. Brown
and N. S. Jones agreed to be trustees in a corporation, which sold stock at $100 per share for the purpose of building the
hotel. The $200,000 goal was never reached. Over the next several years the Chanute Chamber of Commerce pursued
the hotel idea, but initially without much success.
In 1928, three Chanute citizens, brothers Milo T. and Hugh T. Jones, and their cousin Neil S. Jones, sons of the two town
founders, developed a new and promising proposal for a hotel, which eventually would be known as the “Tioga Inn”. The
proposal called for a $218,000 total investment, with $183,000 coming from the principal investors and the remaining
$35,000 to be raised by the citizens of Chanute.
A massive campaign was begun to raise the funds. There was much help from the local press which promoted the virtues
of such a hotel. By March of 1928 the necessary funds had been raised so existing one-story brick buildings were
removed from the site and construction began. Since the Joneses were in the building materials business, supplies were
obtained at wholesale prices which greatly reduced the building’s price.
Two buildings facing Main Street and five buildings facing North Lincoln were torn down at the hotel site. Their addresses
and names were: “On Main”, 10 East Main; “Universal Auto Supply” 10 ½ East Main; “McKelvey Book & Gift”, 12 East
Main; “Chamber of Commerce”; “Leona Leybold” 12 ½ East Main; “Home Investment Co.”, 1 North Lincoln; George
Turley, Jeweler”, 3 North Lincoln; “D.M. Wells, Barber”, 5 North Lincoln; “Ira Frantz Optical Co.”, 7 North Lincoln; and
“Nathan Kipnis, Ladies Ready to Wear”, 9 North Lincoln. All were renters except for Universal Auto Supply which owned
their building.
Local architect and engineer John W. Pratt was chosen as the project architect, and John Sweet, president of Sweet
Hotel, Inc., a chain of hotels in Missouri and Kansas, was contracted to operate the hotel upon its completion. John
Sweet was an important figure in the region’s hotel industry, with eight hotels under his management in the bi-state area
in 1929.
The Tioga is considered an important example of the work of Pratt, a civil engineer and contractor who both designed
and built more than 60 structures in Chanute but still found time to serve as the city’s engineer. Considered Chanute’s
“Master Builder”, he designed and/or built a number of the town’s most important structures, including the R.N. Allen
House (1904), the Graham Wheeler Mercantile Building (1935), Chanute High School (1914), Roosevelt School (1920),
the Masonic Temple (1899), the Model Laundry Building (1914) and the city’s first water works in 1894.
Sweet was instrumental in naming the building. He hoped to call it Jones Hotel after the builders and the terrazzo floors in
the east and south vestibules are even inscribed as “Jones Bldg.” However, they objected since they felt the sole credit
for the building should not go to them. Sweet eventually decided to name it “Tioga Inn”, which was one of the names
suggested by several contestants in a public contest to name the hotel that was sponsored by the Chanute Tribune. The
word “Tioga” was a significant word in the community because it was one of four original platted villages which eventually
merged and became the city of Chanute.
On September 15, 1929, the Tioga Inn officially opened with much fanfare and publicity. Safety, technology and overall
guest and employee convenience were the rule in the new Tioga. Every guest could enjoy an outside-facing room with
transoms and air pipes for ventilation, a lavatory and toilet, and for two-thirds of them, a bath tub or shower connected to
each room. The sixth floor was originally devoted to eight private suites, each with a living room, bedroom, and hallway
lobby.
Serving both hotel guests and the general public were a number of retail and service facilities, all accessible from either
the street and/or the interior arcade connecting the lobby to the south entrance. These originally included a drug store,
barber shop, beauty shop, jewelry store, tailor shop, and a cigar, book, and news stand. Banquets and social functions
could be accommodated by a large second floor ballroom, complete with adjacent retiring rooms and special kitchen.
Tioga Chronology of Events
1929 The Tioga Inn officially opens after a construction period of six months.
1942 John Sweet, operator of the Tioga, died and company management is turned over to H.W. McCall. Sometime
after 1942 the Tioga is placed under the operation of the Albert Pick Hotel Chain.
1949 Boss Hotels take over operation of the hotel.
1970 Boss Hotels sells Tioga and its furnishings to Tioga Hotel Co. Inc., owned by Virginia Jones, a relative of the
original builders. A shoe shine parlor and tavern in the basement are added. A contract is made with the
Santa Fe Railroad Company to lodge trainmen is signed.
1972 Virginia J. Jones sells the capital stock to Tom and Vella Baughn.
1975 The Baughns default, and hotel ownership reverts to the Jones’ heirs, Neosho Memorial Hospital.
1978 Jerry Phillips, local oil man, purchases the Tioga for a bid of $24,996. He renovates the hotel by remodeling
some of the rooms and storefronts. A pent roof overhang is added to both sides and the hotel was renamed
“Continental Inn”
1984 The building was purchased by Pennine Resources along with Mr. Phillips other assets, and was renovated for
use as offices and shops. The original name, “Tioga Inn” was reinstated.
1988 The owners auctioned the hotel furnishings and Westin Financial Groups purchased the building at auction for
$10,000 at a U.S. Marshall’s foreclosure sale on November 15th. $1,000,000 was spent on the building for
new plumbing, wiring, sheetrock, elevator upgrade, and etc. It was converted to a Residential Assisted Living
Facility and was managed by Kensington Corporation.
1990 The Tioga opened its doors as an assisted living facility, admitting its first residents in May and by October had
11 residents in the 76 potential occupant facility. The grand opening was held September 29th.
1991 The Tioga was listed placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in the Art Deco style, it
features gargoyles on each corner. It is considered the state’s first “fireproof” hotel with all floors, exterior
walls, most interior walls, and roof being constructed of reinforced concrete or masonry.
2001 The American with Disabilities Act required bathrooms that would accommodate a wheelchair in each room of
an assisted living facility, among other things. Unable to meet the requirement, the facility was closed and the
45 residents were given a 2 week notice to vacate, which overwhelmed the other elderly care facilities in the
area.
2002 The building was purchased from Agemark Corporation on contract for $400,000 with a $100,000 down
payment by a group from North Carolina. Extensive cosmetic remodeling was done. “Chianti’s”, featuring
fine wines, steak and Italian food, was opened on the first floor in the space that had been known for years as
the “Tioga Coffee Shop”. The owners attempted to sell the apartments upstairs as Senior Citizen
Condominiums, but these efforts failed. The owners applied for a city loan to complete the building remodel
and payoff debtors, but due to the unwillingness of the owners to release personal financial information, the
City denied their request. One Friday evening the utilities were turned off due to a overdue bill while Chianti’s
was brimming with customers. Unable to obtain money to continue operations, the Tioga was again placed for
sale by Agemark Corporation.
2004 On July 21, 2004, a purchase contract was signed with a local banker, Todd Johnson. He had recently
renovated a structure in Cherryvale, Kansas and opened Big Hill Lodge there. His plans were to develop 12
hotel suites, sell the other 42 units to senior citizens as condominiums, and offer the restaurant for lease. He
named it Tioga Suites Hotel. Extensive remodeling was done and a new steel A-Lert roof was installed on the
Hotel. Soon the restaurant and bar were leased to David “Yankee Dave” and Kathy Fryd. “Sophia’s” was the
name for the restaurant and “Sweet Caroline’s” was the name for the bar. The Main Street Chanute
organization relocated their offices to space they leased at the Tioga. The original barber shop area of the
Tioga was renovated and leased as a Day Spa. The hotel, restaurant, bar and other businesses opened to
the public November 1, 2004.
2005 After a few months of “many lookers but no buyers”, Johnson changed the concept from senior condominiums
to apartments and kitchenettes were added. With the hotel business being brisk, the number of hotel rooms
eventually grew to 33 and there were 21 apartments. On September 8, Tioga Suites, LLC purchased the
adjacent building, 8 East Main, from Dennis and Donna Steinman. On December 30th, David and Kathy Fryd
closed “Sophia’s” and “Sweet Caroline’s”.
2006 February 1, “Safari Grill and Brewing Co.” became Chanute’s first microbrewery. The brewery was located in
the hotel basement. Two doorways had been added between the original Tioga and 8 East Main building to
allow the newly remodeled space to serve as a casual dining area and storage. The walk in cooler was
removed from the Tioga kitchen to create more space and a new cooler was built onto the back of 8 East
Main. The plaster and pegboard that were covering the 8 East Main walls were removed to expose the
original stone and brick. The carpet and suspended ceiling were also removed and the original tin ceiling was
refurbished. The original Tioga dining room was updated with custom curtains, linens, wine rack and served
as a fine dining area. The bar was completely remodeled and shelving was added.
2008 Mohammed Gedi and Gemal Hamza approached Todd Johnson expressing an interest in leasing the hotel
space occupied by the Safari Grill & Brewing Co. On April 14th the microbrewery was closed and it reopened
in August as “Sombrero’s”, a Mexican restaurant. In October, “Sombrero’s” was closed and two weeks later
the restaurant reopened with the same proprietors as “Main Street Family Restaurant” serving breakfast all
day, plus lunch and dinner seven days a week. On November 14, Johnson opened “Grandma’s Subs and
Yogurt” in the large office area at the corner of Main and Lincoln.
activity. By 1920 preparations were underway to finance construction of a new hotel. Dr. L.D. Johnson, Chase W. Brown
and N. S. Jones agreed to be trustees in a corporation, which sold stock at $100 per share for the purpose of building the
hotel. The $200,000 goal was never reached. Over the next several years the Chanute Chamber of Commerce pursued
the hotel idea, but initially without much success.
In 1928, three Chanute citizens, brothers Milo T. and Hugh T. Jones, and their cousin Neil S. Jones, sons of the two town
founders, developed a new and promising proposal for a hotel, which eventually would be known as the “Tioga Inn”. The
proposal called for a $218,000 total investment, with $183,000 coming from the principal investors and the remaining
$35,000 to be raised by the citizens of Chanute.
A massive campaign was begun to raise the funds. There was much help from the local press which promoted the virtues
of such a hotel. By March of 1928 the necessary funds had been raised so existing one-story brick buildings were
removed from the site and construction began. Since the Joneses were in the building materials business, supplies were
obtained at wholesale prices which greatly reduced the building’s price.
Two buildings facing Main Street and five buildings facing North Lincoln were torn down at the hotel site. Their addresses
and names were: “On Main”, 10 East Main; “Universal Auto Supply” 10 ½ East Main; “McKelvey Book & Gift”, 12 East
Main; “Chamber of Commerce”; “Leona Leybold” 12 ½ East Main; “Home Investment Co.”, 1 North Lincoln; George
Turley, Jeweler”, 3 North Lincoln; “D.M. Wells, Barber”, 5 North Lincoln; “Ira Frantz Optical Co.”, 7 North Lincoln; and
“Nathan Kipnis, Ladies Ready to Wear”, 9 North Lincoln. All were renters except for Universal Auto Supply which owned
their building.
Local architect and engineer John W. Pratt was chosen as the project architect, and John Sweet, president of Sweet
Hotel, Inc., a chain of hotels in Missouri and Kansas, was contracted to operate the hotel upon its completion. John
Sweet was an important figure in the region’s hotel industry, with eight hotels under his management in the bi-state area
in 1929.
The Tioga is considered an important example of the work of Pratt, a civil engineer and contractor who both designed
and built more than 60 structures in Chanute but still found time to serve as the city’s engineer. Considered Chanute’s
“Master Builder”, he designed and/or built a number of the town’s most important structures, including the R.N. Allen
House (1904), the Graham Wheeler Mercantile Building (1935), Chanute High School (1914), Roosevelt School (1920),
the Masonic Temple (1899), the Model Laundry Building (1914) and the city’s first water works in 1894.
Sweet was instrumental in naming the building. He hoped to call it Jones Hotel after the builders and the terrazzo floors in
the east and south vestibules are even inscribed as “Jones Bldg.” However, they objected since they felt the sole credit
for the building should not go to them. Sweet eventually decided to name it “Tioga Inn”, which was one of the names
suggested by several contestants in a public contest to name the hotel that was sponsored by the Chanute Tribune. The
word “Tioga” was a significant word in the community because it was one of four original platted villages which eventually
merged and became the city of Chanute.
On September 15, 1929, the Tioga Inn officially opened with much fanfare and publicity. Safety, technology and overall
guest and employee convenience were the rule in the new Tioga. Every guest could enjoy an outside-facing room with
transoms and air pipes for ventilation, a lavatory and toilet, and for two-thirds of them, a bath tub or shower connected to
each room. The sixth floor was originally devoted to eight private suites, each with a living room, bedroom, and hallway
lobby.
Serving both hotel guests and the general public were a number of retail and service facilities, all accessible from either
the street and/or the interior arcade connecting the lobby to the south entrance. These originally included a drug store,
barber shop, beauty shop, jewelry store, tailor shop, and a cigar, book, and news stand. Banquets and social functions
could be accommodated by a large second floor ballroom, complete with adjacent retiring rooms and special kitchen.
Tioga Chronology of Events
1929 The Tioga Inn officially opens after a construction period of six months.
1942 John Sweet, operator of the Tioga, died and company management is turned over to H.W. McCall. Sometime
after 1942 the Tioga is placed under the operation of the Albert Pick Hotel Chain.
1949 Boss Hotels take over operation of the hotel.
1970 Boss Hotels sells Tioga and its furnishings to Tioga Hotel Co. Inc., owned by Virginia Jones, a relative of the
original builders. A shoe shine parlor and tavern in the basement are added. A contract is made with the
Santa Fe Railroad Company to lodge trainmen is signed.
1972 Virginia J. Jones sells the capital stock to Tom and Vella Baughn.
1975 The Baughns default, and hotel ownership reverts to the Jones’ heirs, Neosho Memorial Hospital.
1978 Jerry Phillips, local oil man, purchases the Tioga for a bid of $24,996. He renovates the hotel by remodeling
some of the rooms and storefronts. A pent roof overhang is added to both sides and the hotel was renamed
“Continental Inn”
1984 The building was purchased by Pennine Resources along with Mr. Phillips other assets, and was renovated for
use as offices and shops. The original name, “Tioga Inn” was reinstated.
1988 The owners auctioned the hotel furnishings and Westin Financial Groups purchased the building at auction for
$10,000 at a U.S. Marshall’s foreclosure sale on November 15th. $1,000,000 was spent on the building for
new plumbing, wiring, sheetrock, elevator upgrade, and etc. It was converted to a Residential Assisted Living
Facility and was managed by Kensington Corporation.
1990 The Tioga opened its doors as an assisted living facility, admitting its first residents in May and by October had
11 residents in the 76 potential occupant facility. The grand opening was held September 29th.
1991 The Tioga was listed placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in the Art Deco style, it
features gargoyles on each corner. It is considered the state’s first “fireproof” hotel with all floors, exterior
walls, most interior walls, and roof being constructed of reinforced concrete or masonry.
2001 The American with Disabilities Act required bathrooms that would accommodate a wheelchair in each room of
an assisted living facility, among other things. Unable to meet the requirement, the facility was closed and the
45 residents were given a 2 week notice to vacate, which overwhelmed the other elderly care facilities in the
area.
2002 The building was purchased from Agemark Corporation on contract for $400,000 with a $100,000 down
payment by a group from North Carolina. Extensive cosmetic remodeling was done. “Chianti’s”, featuring
fine wines, steak and Italian food, was opened on the first floor in the space that had been known for years as
the “Tioga Coffee Shop”. The owners attempted to sell the apartments upstairs as Senior Citizen
Condominiums, but these efforts failed. The owners applied for a city loan to complete the building remodel
and payoff debtors, but due to the unwillingness of the owners to release personal financial information, the
City denied their request. One Friday evening the utilities were turned off due to a overdue bill while Chianti’s
was brimming with customers. Unable to obtain money to continue operations, the Tioga was again placed for
sale by Agemark Corporation.
2004 On July 21, 2004, a purchase contract was signed with a local banker, Todd Johnson. He had recently
renovated a structure in Cherryvale, Kansas and opened Big Hill Lodge there. His plans were to develop 12
hotel suites, sell the other 42 units to senior citizens as condominiums, and offer the restaurant for lease. He
named it Tioga Suites Hotel. Extensive remodeling was done and a new steel A-Lert roof was installed on the
Hotel. Soon the restaurant and bar were leased to David “Yankee Dave” and Kathy Fryd. “Sophia’s” was the
name for the restaurant and “Sweet Caroline’s” was the name for the bar. The Main Street Chanute
organization relocated their offices to space they leased at the Tioga. The original barber shop area of the
Tioga was renovated and leased as a Day Spa. The hotel, restaurant, bar and other businesses opened to
the public November 1, 2004.
2005 After a few months of “many lookers but no buyers”, Johnson changed the concept from senior condominiums
to apartments and kitchenettes were added. With the hotel business being brisk, the number of hotel rooms
eventually grew to 33 and there were 21 apartments. On September 8, Tioga Suites, LLC purchased the
adjacent building, 8 East Main, from Dennis and Donna Steinman. On December 30th, David and Kathy Fryd
closed “Sophia’s” and “Sweet Caroline’s”.
2006 February 1, “Safari Grill and Brewing Co.” became Chanute’s first microbrewery. The brewery was located in
the hotel basement. Two doorways had been added between the original Tioga and 8 East Main building to
allow the newly remodeled space to serve as a casual dining area and storage. The walk in cooler was
removed from the Tioga kitchen to create more space and a new cooler was built onto the back of 8 East
Main. The plaster and pegboard that were covering the 8 East Main walls were removed to expose the
original stone and brick. The carpet and suspended ceiling were also removed and the original tin ceiling was
refurbished. The original Tioga dining room was updated with custom curtains, linens, wine rack and served
as a fine dining area. The bar was completely remodeled and shelving was added.
2008 Mohammed Gedi and Gemal Hamza approached Todd Johnson expressing an interest in leasing the hotel
space occupied by the Safari Grill & Brewing Co. On April 14th the microbrewery was closed and it reopened
in August as “Sombrero’s”, a Mexican restaurant. In October, “Sombrero’s” was closed and two weeks later
the restaurant reopened with the same proprietors as “Main Street Family Restaurant” serving breakfast all
day, plus lunch and dinner seven days a week. On November 14, Johnson opened “Grandma’s Subs and
Yogurt” in the large office area at the corner of Main and Lincoln.
| Copyright 2009 | Tioga Suites Hotel |
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