Let’s get back to the old hotel! By the time the Crawfords purchased it in 1914, it had become widely known as the Bellbuckle Hotel. They may have decided that the hotel business wasn’t for them, because 3 years later, they put it and lots around it up for sale. Sadly, W. P. Crawford fell ill and passed away in 1921. He was only 64 and was descibed as a “faithful and upright man, honest and kind-hearted, always willing to help others”.
Mrs. Lula Crawford held down the fort for a few years until another tragedy struck in 1923. She was one of four killed in a terrible accident involving an automobile and train, right in front of the hotel that she managed. Mrs. Crawford, along with three others, were on their way home from a funeral at the local cemetery when the driver of the auto accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. The train was slowing down to stop in Bell Buckle, but couldn’t slow down quickly enough to avoid the car. All four occupants were thrown from the car and eventually died.
The victims were so loved by the community that it’s said around 1,000 people attended the triple funeral. (One was delayed for family to arrive) All of the businesses in town were shut down for the day to attend. There were counted 131 autos in the procession along with numerous horse-drawn carriages and even folks on foot. The Baptist church was jampacked and the line went out the door and down the street. They were obviously very beloved members of the Bell Buckle community.
Fast forward to 1925, a wanted thief is found to be hiding out in the hotel. It was quite the spectacle! The thief went out onto the second story balcony and attempted to get away by shimmying down a pillar. The police shot at him as he made his way down. It’s unclear what happened to the criminal, but the article says some small change was secured from rooms on the second floor.
Parties, weddings, galas, banquets, dove hunts, and not to mention the everyday living of the folks that called it home. This hotel was bursting with life! With the purchase by a funeral director, this hotel would become something very different
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