I had long heard family lore that my grandfather, Fred Augustus Whitehead, worked for this historic hotel. I had little proof of this. I had one letter that he sent to his father dated July 27, 1926. It is written on Palmer House stationary. However, the letter doesn’t explicitly say that he is working there. It does indicate that his father could write him back at that address. I have been curious about this piece of information for as long as I can remember. I asked both of my Aunts and my father, but nobody knew for certain if he had worked there and if so in what capacity.
I planned on taking this letter to Chicago in August 2020 to talk to the Palmer House Historian. I was going to be staying there for a conference that year. Well, you know what happened. The world shut down with a pandemic in March 2020 and did not reopen for over a year. My opportunity to go to Chicago re-emerged earlier this year (2022) when Cheryl had a conference in the city. I was finally going to get my chance to talk the hotel historian. It was not meant to be. Ken Price, the historian had died earlier this year. When I communicated with the hotel concierge, it seems there was nobody that I could speak to. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.
My sister and I did visit the hotel with plans to at least have a cocktail in the lobby bar. But again, it was not meant to be, as the bar didn’t open until after four pm. So that was a bust. I did take a couple pictures. And if you are ever in Chicago, you must go see it. It is a throwback to how hotels used to look.
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Fast-forward to earlier this month, Newspaper.com was having a free access weekend to their website. It was then I was able to secure the proof I needed.
I finally have a secondary record that confirms my grandfather’s association with the Palmer House. I found an obscure clipping dated December 3, 1926 from the National Hotel Reporter. This clipping is an announcement of the Report of the Directors Monthly Meeting. This report indicates that Fred’s membership into the Hotel Mens’ Mutual Benefit Association of the United States and Canada was examined and approved by the board. This association was intended to help hotel workers secure insurance (CNO, 2022). So, we know Fred worked at the Palmer House. But what did he do?
Why does this matter? Well for me, it is more than confirming a story. It is knowing that my relative worked at this hotel that I can still go to today. He walked the same halls. I will get back there again to have that cocktail in his honor.
The Palmer House Hotel is notable hotel with a lot of great history. It is the longest continuously running hotel in history. It was originally opened in 1870. It was subsequently burnt to the ground in the great Chicago Fire. It was rebuilt two more times before Fred went to work there. The timing looks to be consistent with the reopening of the Third Palmer House.
From his military records I can tell he arrived in Chicago about March 1924 to work at the Reserve Office. Fred was discharged from the military 25 January 1926. The letter he sent his father was sent July 1926. Was this his first job in civilian life? In the letter he sent to his father he talks about his upcoming nuptials and that he hoped he would be the man that Marge deserved. I love how he expressed himself to his father this way.
Fred married Margaret Kersten on 18 September 1926 in Chicago, Illinois.
Until later, I will be exploring backwards!
Palmer House Resources:
You can read more about it here: https://www.chicagohistory.org/palmerhouse/ If you are still interested you can learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxgdvqTEMmU
Sources:
CNO Financial Group, retrieved on May 24, 2022 from https://cno.mediaroom.com/press-releases?item=134
National Hotel Reporter, Report of the Directors Monthly Meeting, December 3, 1926, Chicago, Illinois retrieved May 11, 2022 from Newspapers.com
Exploring Backwards 
Love this story and how you continued to explore backwards!
Precious. Thank you. SSB
Dear cuz: great AS USUAL! I understand about digging in on a particular aspect. While researching one of my mother’s cousins who worked as a railroad conductor, I came across a passenger listing in Jacksonville FL, right after WWII, showing a Joe Stevens Jr traveling to Carlton GA ! What? WHAT?! This does not match any info that Miss Kitty can recall – but her denial of the possibility does not deter me ! He had to get back from San Francisco somehow! Take care of you and yours, and Happy Hunting! MLS
I was always told by Joe Daddy, Coco, Betty and mother that Uncle Fred eventually became the concierge at the hotel which was a very high position. This was related to me by multiple relatives. Every time he was referred to in these conversations this position was mentioned. Since this was consistent, I am confident that it is not something that my grandparents would have fabricated. We all know how genealogy works. A lot gets assumes and some made up. I know that on many occasions when relating that my Uncle Fred was the concierge at the Palmer House. Some of this was about to how many Chicago gangsters he may have known. 🙂 Charlie