Gone But Not Forgotten: Harney Hotel at 14th and Harney Streets

October 20, 2023

If you’re anything like me, you glance at all the parking lots downtown and wonder what stood there before. Starting today, we’ll begin to explore a few of these starting with the southwest corner of 14th and Harney Streets.

By the time Pacific Express Company built its headquarters at 1401 Farnam Street in 1898 it controlled the express business of not only Union Pacific but the Missouri Pacific and Wabash lines as well. The grand building was made of red stone on the first two floors with red brick and terra cotta on the upper floors. The main entrance was through an arch set at an angle so that it faced the intersection. The entrance was rounded rather than rectangular. The building was called “one of the strongest and most reliable in the city”.

Hotel Harney in 1914 courtesy of Omaha World-Herald

Despite being housed in such a magnificent building, Pacific Express decided to relocate its headquarters to St. Louis. They continued to own the building but really only used it for their annual meeting each year. The writing was on the wall in 1911 though after Wells Fargo bought out Pacific Express. At that point the building was put up for sale.

1964 photo of the Silver Tap Room location on the first floor of the hotel facing 14th St. Courtesy of the Durham Museum.

Charles Sorenson bought it and converted it into a luxurious hotel. Sitting on three streetcar lines and within a block of four others, it was perfectly located. The Harney Hotel opened its doors in 1913. Through the front doors sat an exceptional staircase made of black walnut. Or if you preferred, the hotel also offered elevator service. The lobby was said to be one of the prettiest in the city. The first floor also featured a ladies parlor with its own maid, a barber shop, library in addition to a gentleman’s lounge opening directly from the lobby. In total the hotel had 47 rooms each of which had hot and cold water, telephones and expensive furniture. The basement contained a saloon as well as the Cafe and Grill Room with a broad stairway leading to it from the lobby. With its private booths decked in leather and oak, they provided an inviting spot to discuss business matters. By 1919, Sorenson must have grown tired of the hotel business and ended up trading it to Herman Peters for his ranch in Cheyenne County, Nebraska.

1965 photo of the Eagle Hotel after the fire. Courtesy of the Omaha World-Herald.

Over time the hotel lost some of its luster and by 1941, it was renamed as the Reid Hotel which was part of a chain of mid-priced hotels. The 1940’s were a decade of volatility for the hotel. There were fights, fires, falls, stabbings and a man found dead in his room three days later. The hotel was clearly in need of change in 1955 when it was incorporated into the Milner Hotel System. Named after the company’s founder, Earle Milner, the Earle Hotel only lasted four years. In 1959 it was rebranded and reopened as the Eagle Hotel. From the women’s dressing room of an in-house club called The Silver Tap Room, a fire swept through the first two floors of the building in 1965. The fire was put out after several hours due to the efforts of over 70 firefighters. Unfortunately, the fire resulted in two fatalities and injured 43.

1966 photo showing signs that were covered when Pacific Express built the building. They were uncovered once it was demolished and eventually painted over. Courtesy of Omaha World-Herald.

Even though the fire caused extensive damage, there had been plans to to repair the hotel. Those plans were delayed due to lawsuits from those who suffered as a result of the fire. Eventually it became a target for burglars and a haven for the homeless. When the city proposed razing the building due to it being a fire hazard, the owner did not object and said that he had planned to replace it with a parking lot. The demolition was completed in December 1965. During the demolition, long hidden advertisements were uncovered on the east facing wall of the adjacent building which now houses Wilson & Washburn. One of the advertisements read: “Meyer & Raapke, Western Distributing Agt’s for Blackwell’s The Only Genuine Durham Tobacco”. The other read as “Marks Bro’s Saddlery. Wholesale Manufacturers. Saddles, Harness and Collars”. The advertisements are no longer visible as they were painted over. The site of the once grand hotel has remained a parking lot for nearly sixty years.