Shesler Hall

Timeline:

1901 - Named after Joanna Shesler who founded the hall, the first Shesler Hall opened as a home for Methodist deaconesses who lived here as they did their mission work in the poor sections of Sioux City. The work of the deaconesses grew rapidly, and the need for a larger building arose.

1917 - Tthe current Shesler Hall and current building used today was completed,

1922 - The deaconesses lived at Shesler until this year when the times and needs of the community changed.

1922 to 1985 - Shesler was a room and board residence for a variety of young women who worked or went to school in Sioux City. The facility continued to evolve as times changed, but was always devoted to serving the needs of women.

1985 - Shesler Hall began to focus on serving a particularly deserving segment: women with special needs who require a supportive living environment.

Shesler Hall's early ties to the Methodist Church continue to this day. Shesler Hall is one of about 100 national mission institutions under the umbrella of the General Board of Global Ministries and the Iowa Conference United Methodist Women own the building and property.

Link: Shesler Hall

Sculpt Siouxland 2013: Hillaway Ponies

Located on Nebraska Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets in downtown Sioux City is the sculpture, Hillaway Ponies. It is one of the newest additions to the 9th Annual Sculpt Siouxland:

Warrior Hotel

On the NW corner of Nebraska and 5th Streets in downtown Sioux City sits a beautiful Art Deco style building called the Warrior Hotel. At the moment it is empty, it has been since the mid 1970's. The building has an interesting history in Sioux City and has been through many owners.

Part of the buildings interesting history is from the mid 1950's. Near or at the end of McCarthyism there were a couple of children murdered in Sioux City. The murders were thought to have been committed by a sexual predator. The moral majority in Iowa, charged by the events of McCarthyism, passed laws stating if a person did things outside of the social norm, like listen to the Liberace Show, they could be charged with a sexual crime if suspected of such a thing, even if what ever crime they were thought to have committed did not have any sort of sexual behavior as part of it.

The event that occurred in the mid 1950's after the second child was found dead was police rounded up what they called the "usual suspects" that were thought to have been a part of Sioux City's almost "invisible" gay community, from a place called the Tom Tom Club, which was in the Warrior Hotel. The Tom Tom Club was thought to be an "unofficial" gay bar or club. These men were sent to the state mental institution at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. After the doctors there figured out there was nothing wrong with them they were released, but the damage to their reputations by the moral majority in Sioux City, Iowa had been done and even though they did not commit any crime a lot of them left Iowa, never to return.

The future of the Warrior Hotel is unknown and uncertain. At one time it was thought it would be turned into low rent apartments or even retirement apartments. For now this beautiful building stands empty.

Architect's Biography:
The architect of the Warrior Hotel was Alonzo H. Gentry. He was well known for designing hotels. Alonzo used different styles of architecture. Art deco, beaux-arts, renaissance revival, art moderne and chicago school. Born in Independence, Missouri about 1887 he has many buildings to his credit. The Harry S. Truman library in Independence, the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, the Truman Library along with several hotels, the Warrior Hotel included. Alonzo passed away in 1967.

Chronology:

1930 - Constructed as the Fontenelle Hotel.

1931 - Became known as the Warrior Hotel by the time it opened.

Mid 1930's - Eugene C. Eppley purchased the Warrior. It became part of the Eppley Hotel chain.

Mid 1950's - Police arrested about 20 gay men who frequented the Tom Tom Club, located in the Warrior Hotel because they were thought to be suspects in the murder of a child at the time.

1956 - Eppley Hotels sold the Warrior to the Sheraton Corporation of America, after which time it was called the Sheraton-Warrior.

Late 1960's - Sioux City contractors Joseph and Frank Audino purchased the hotel and renamed it the Aventino Motor Inn.

Mid 1970's - The Aventino Motor Inn closed and the building has been empty since.

1985 - The Warrior Hotel building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

December 1996 - The Sioux City City Council approved the demolition of the building.

1997 - A lawsuit filed to prevent the destruction of the warrior Hotel succeeds.

Web sites:
Emporis - Warrior Hotel

Owners of Warrior Hotel dispute city claims

Oddball Iowa: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places

Trickle-down McCarthyism

Photos:

Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 19: Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple is located on Nebraska St, just north of downtown at 9th st.

The temple currently houses the Abu Bekr Shrine, The Sioux City York Rite bodies & Tyrian Lodge #508. There is also a Masonic Museum in the building. A lot of the rooms used for the York Rite, Tyrian Lodge & the Shrine are beautiful. One in particular is called the Egypt Room. It is adorned with a star painted ceiling & Egyption Motif on the walls.

I do believe tours of the building are available if you call ahead to arrange one.

Here is a web site with contact info.
Siouxland Freemasonry

Shown are pictures of the building itself. But I also took pictures of looking north toward the old Central High School, which I will post about next. I also took pics. of the skyline of the Woodbury County Courthouse & City Hall as well as a pic. looking south into downtown Sioux City.