The Claimjumper
Photography: Park City Historical Society and John McCarthy
The Claimjumper” wasn’t the name of the building at 573 Main when it was constructed in 1913. Neither was it the first structure on that site. The first was a wood-frame hotel, destroyed in the Great Fire of 1898. It was quickly rebuilt as the Park City Hotel and managed by Mrs. Marie Hethke. Another fire in 1911, however, destroyed the hotel, including all of Mrs. Hethke’s furnishings. Oak Saloon owner, Henry Spriggs, felt sorry for Marie and enlisted the help of the local Commercial Club to raise money to rebuild the hotel. The fundraising effort produced $22,000, enough to construct a fine, three-story, brick building named the “New Park Hotel.”
The hotel was officially opened on November 3, 1913, with a grand opening dinner followed by dancing. The Park Record reported, “What a beautiful and commodious hostelry it is … a decided credit and great benefit to Park City.”
The New Park Hotel became the prestigious place to stay in Park City and The Park Record often printed the names of the guests staying there. The dining room also became a popular place to dine and the menus for holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas were often printed in The Park Record.
In September, 1952, The Park Record reported, “This week the New Park Hotel was boarded up and is now numbered among the has been.” The mines were closed and people were leaving, not arriving in Park City. In addition, Marie Hethke was seriously ill and died in 1958.
In 1965, the new owners of the historic building, Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn Johnson of Glen Rock, Wyoming, invested $270,000 in refurnishing and redecorating the 40-room hotel. Although the basic floor plan remained unchanged, a new bar and lounge called the Forge Room was built and soon became a popular “drinking hole” for the locals. The main dining room, called the Golden Sleigh Room, featured a genuine cutter sleigh. The second floor had beautifully decorated bedrooms while the third floor, called the Economy Room, had bunk beds and a large shower room.
The Claimjumper Hotel operated until 1992, when it was closed and converted to offices. The Claimjumper Restaurant still operates as does Ringo’s private club in the basement.
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