St. James History

The St. James Hotel and the town of Red Wing owe their birth to the vast wheat crop harvested in the area, and both continued to prosper because of their location in Minnesota’s wheat belt. By the early 1870s with the addition of the Empire Builder railroad line from Saint Paul to Chicago, the frontier town of Red Wing became a thriving center of business bringing farmers and businessmen to town to sell grain and buy goods. With its prime location in the heartland of America and its natural port on the Mississippi River, the city became the fifth largest in Minnesota and was the largest wheat-trading center in the world, shipping more than 2.4 million bushels of grain a year at its peak.

Although there were a few modest hotels in town, a group of 11 civic-minded businessmen observed all the hustle and bustle and sensed the need for a first class lodging establishment. Many of the names of the original investors are well known in Red Wing today. They were Joshua C. Pierce, Charles Betcher, William P. Brown, Jesse McIntire, E.L. Baker, T.K. Simmons, John Friedrich, John Hack, Loren C. Smith, James Lawther and S.B. Foot. These men formed the original Red Wing Hotel Corporation and managed to raise the $60,000 necessary for the project. They purchased a plot of land in the heart of the business district at the intersection of Main and Bush streets, just a stone’s throw away from the Mississippi River and the train depot.

The architectural firm of E.P. Bassford of Minneapolis designed the four-story Italianate structure, and work commenced in the spring of 1874. The hotel was outfitted in grand style with handsome furnishings, Brussels carpets in the lobby and English velvet carpet in the second floor ladies’ parlor. In May of 1875, the hotel was christened the St. James Hotel, most likely after the Court of St. James of London, as residents felt it sounded regal and high class.

The original 11 investors hired two brothers from Wisconsin to manage the hotel. E.J. and F.H. Blood were known as the Blood Brothers or more commonly as "Fred and Ed". In fact, the gala party planned for a fall opening of the hotel was crudely referred to as the "Blood’s Blow-Out" by the local papers.

The St. James Hotel opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1875. Tickets were $5 per person.  The salutation of the invitations read "Yourself and a lady are cordially invited to attend . . ." The 500 prominent guests were treated to a lavish banquet featuring over 60 items ranging from raw oysters and roast venison to Boston cream puffs and strawberry ice cream. Dancing followed until 4:00 a.m.

Guests marveled at the hotel’s modern features including steam heat, hot and cold running water, gas throughout and a state of the art kitchen. The first floor included three dining rooms, the kitchen, office and baggage storage and the lower level featured a parlor, billiard hall, barbershop, public baths and four water closets. The second floor included a ladies’ parlor, bridal suite and two ladies’ water closets, while the fourth floor housed the ballroom.

The original main entrance was located on Bush Street, instead of Main Street, as that was most convenient for the guests walking up from the riverboats and train depot. Also, the livery stables were located across Bush Street from the hotel, so guests could be dropped at the entrance and horses could turn immediately into the stables.

Main Street was the town’s major shopping area, and the St. James’s street level housed local businesses that had Main Street storefronts. These included a newsstand, a clothing store, dry goods store and a bank, which survived until 1967 under various names.

The St. James was an immediate success, her rooms full every night with travelers and boarders. The cooks gained a first rate reputation and shortly after the hotel opened, the railroad adjusted its timetable to allow passengers to disembark for a dinner break at the St. James. One famous traveler who sampled the fare was President Rutherford B. Hayes.

After the Blood Brothers left the St. James, the hotel was managed by various proprietors. In 1905, two of the original owners, J.C. Pierce and T.K. Simmons bought out the other 9 and became partners.

In 1906, Charles Lillyblad became the manager, taking over Pierce’s share of the ownership and later buying out Simmons as well, becoming sole proprietor. Thus the Lillyblad era was born, as the family ran the hotel until 1977.

Charles married Clara Nelson, a young lady form Fergus Falls, who had started waiting tables at the St. James in 1914. Clara was a marvelous cook and quickly gained a reputation for outstanding food and hostess etiquette. She had two children, Art, born in 1916 and Frances, born in 1917. Art was actually born in the hotel in what is now room 208. He began helping out as a bellhop at age 7 and took on greater responsibility upon the death of his father in 1932.

But it was Clara who ran the hotel with an iron fist, but a heart of gold. She demanded meticulous attention to detail from both the kitchen and housekeeping staff. Guestrooms sparkled, silverware glistened, and she insisted on the highest quality ingredients for her homemade recipes, buying much produce from local farmers and meats and roasts from local butchers. Clara was extremely industrious and did whatever was needed to keep the hotel running smoothly, whether that meant baking pies, scrubbing pots and pans or supervising carpenters on a necessary repair project.

As strict as her standards were, Clara’s heart was equally generous, and she never hesitated to help those in need. There is a story of a couple that came to the St. James for their honeymoon, as many rural couples did. They reserved a room and went into the dining room for dinner, but only ordered the least expensive item on the menu – two plates of hash. When the server mentioned this odd order in the kitchen, Clara insisted that she bring the newlyweds the finest dinner available that evening, but only charge them for hash.

She especially seemed to take care of folks around holiday times. If a friend became widowed, she might send over a complete turkey dinner with all the trimmings for Christmas. She also instructed cooks working holidays, when most restaurants were closed, to serve a complimentary meal to any passer by who asked if food was available. Clara always took care of her staff and threw extravagant Christmas parties every year, using the finest décor and cooking up a meal fit for royalty. Employees at the St. James were extremely loyal and turnover was very light for many years during the Lillyblad tenure.

Art Lillyblad had returned to the hotel following his education at the University of Minnesota, and when Clara died in 1972, he took over the operations. But times were changing. The traveling salesmen who were once the mainstay of the hotel’s clientele, booking 40-50 rooms each night, were replaced by wholesale operators, and many visitors sought the modern conveniences lacking at the St. James.

By the mid 1970s, the St. James was in need of a major renovation to keep up with modern codes and the lure of the newer hotels in the area. It was purchased in 1977 by the Red Wing Shoe Company and closed for two years for a major multi-million dollar renovation.

The historic portion was modified as private baths and sprinkler systems were added to each room. A new addition made room for 19 additional guestrooms, many with outstanding river views. Office space, banquet rooms, a shopping court and new restaurants were also added. The elegant Port Restaurant opened on the lower level, the Veranda Café, overlooking the Mississippi River, opened on the lobby level and the Summit banquet rooms and Jimmy’s Pub were located on the fifth level.

The area on the lower level, which is now occupied by the award-winning Port Restaurant, was once a bank, and the designers made some creative uses of the original layout. The bank vault is now aptly the location of the wine cellar, which houses an outstanding collection of 180 different labels, which has helped the hotel earn the coveted Wine Spectator Award each year since 2001. The two side rooms across from the wine cellar, which are now used as linen closets, were originally used to view the contents of one’s safe deposit box. A beautiful sideboard and hutch in the private dining room in the Port is thought to be original to the hotel.

The managers retained designer Clara Bloomberg who scoured the country for antiques and reproduction pieces. Bloomberg consulted history books for appropriate décor of wall coverings and window treatments of the late 19^th century. Each guestroom was uniquely decorated in the Victorian mode and features a custom designed quilt. The rooms were named for riverboats and a photo and description of each vessel was placed in the corresponding guestroom. Today, the St. James guestrooms invite respite and tranquility. Each room is still decorated with period furnishings and adorned with custom quilts. It is truly a hotel that pampers and relaxes its guests.

Despite the hotel’s high regard for history in each nook and cranny, it is also a state-of-the-art meeting venue and is highly sought after as a board meeting or retreat location by many corporations in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. With 14,000 square feet of meeting space, cutting edge technology, comfortable chairs and outstanding catering including Starbuck’s coffee, the St. James Hotel is geared to handle the needs of today’s meeting planners. The St. James Courtyard, which includes a dozen shops and Clara’s Gifts and Coffee, offers wireless internet access for leisure and business guests and comfortable seating areas with tables large enough to accommodate up to four guests for a quick break, snack or impromptu meeting.