Carola Lillie Hartley
Publisher and Contributing Writer
Over the years of its existence, Opelousas had several different hotels, some better known than others. Like for instance people today still hear talk about the Lacombe Hotel, the James Hotel, the Waldorf Hotel and the INN. Recently while going through some historic invoices in my Opelousas collection, I can across this old letterhead from one called the Opelousas Hotel that operated in downtown Opelousas for a short time at the end of the 1880s.
The Opelousas Hotel
The St. Landry Democrat of January 19, 1889, reported Cleophas “C” Comeau had completed his new building on the corner of Court and Bellevue streets in downtown Opelousas. According to the announcement, the building was occupied by Mr. G. Miller and “christened the Opelousas Hotel, which will be kept on the American and European plan.” It also included a fine restaurant and a saloon that was attached. Mr. Miller was described in the announcement as a well-known caterer.
Before moving to Opelousas and operating the Opelousas Hotel, Mr. Miller was the owner of the popular resort area known as Pointe-aux-Loups Springs Hotel and Restaurant in Acadia Parish (near what at that time was Cartville, LA and is today Iota, LA).
When it first opened, the Opelousas Hotel, with its restaurant and saloon, was a popular spot in the town. Visitors to the area stayed there, traveling salesmen used the building to sell their products from time to time, and the citizens of Opelousas held events and activities in the building. One of those events was held by the Lodge of the Knights of Honor on September 4, 1889. On that evening, the lodge held their installation meeting at a social hall in town. After the meeting, a banquet was held at Miller’s Opelousas Hotel, with a good time enjoyed by all who attended. According to reports about that banquet, there were many toasts offered by those who continued the celebration until the wee hours of the morning.
At first it seemed the Opelousas Hotel was going to be a successful venture for Mr. Miller. But for some reason that did not happen. Just about a year after it opened, there was no more mention in the local papers about the Opelousas Hotel on the corner of Court and Bellevue streets.
G. Miller went back to Acadia Parish when he left Opelousas about that time. In May of 1891, his home was again in Pointe-aux-Loups. In July of 1891, the Crowley Signal newspaper reported G. Miller was in the charge of Sheriff Lyons when he left Crowley with Miller to place him in the asylum at Jackson, LA.
Also, that year (1891) his wife, Mrs. G. Miller was listed in advertisements as the proprietor of Pointe-aux-Loups Springs.
What became of the C. Comeau Building that housed the Opelousas Hotel?
After the Opelousas Hotel closed and following the death of Cleophas “C” Comeau in 1892, the building that housed the hotel was eventually sold. It was purchased by Charles Pitre and became what folks called the Pitre House. That southeast corner of Court and Bellevue streets was thereafter called Pitre’s Corner.
In 1898 F. H. Eddy rented the Pitre House from Charles Pitre to use for his business. He remodeled the building, painted it and greatly improved its appearance. He opened his saloon there following the renovations in 1899. On March 18th of that year, the Opelousas Courier announced extensive improvements, alterations and repairs has recently been made to the popular resort known as Eddy Saloon, making it one of the most magnificent saloons in Southwest Louisiana. The article described the new bar fixtures, calling them “elegant and convenient, better than anything of the kind in St. Landry parish.”
On Thursday, March 14, 1901, the Eddy Saloon was robbed in what the St. Landry Clarion described as “about the coolest, most daring, superbly brazen, robbery ever committed in this or any other town.” It seems Mr. Eddy was in the building when the robbery took place. According to reports, he was involved in a very exciting poker game in the other room while the robber went into his office, forced open the cash box that was in the opened safe, and took off with $400.00 in cash. That story made the papers in other Louisiana towns and was the talk of the town in Opelousas for some time.
On Monday, June 13, 1904, a fire broke out in the Fontenot Saloon in downtown Opelousas. That fire quickly spread, destroying six buildings and causing damage to others. Two of the buildings destroyed belonged to Charles Pitre, including the one that house the Eddy Saloon, pool hall and hotel. Since there was no insurance, the lot was cleared, and the building was not rebuilt. The property remained just an empty lot until it was sold to J. B. Sandoz in 1908, and later to the board of directors of the new Union Bank and Trust Company. A new building was constructed on that Pitre Corner lot, with the bank opening for business in April of 1911.
Although the C. Comeau building that housed the Opelousas Hotel and stood on what became Pitre’s Corner is no longer there, the bank building that replaced it occupies that corner today. It is called the Union Bank Building and is a contributing element to the Opelousas National Register Historic District.
