Historic Plaque, White Elephant Saloon (Blach Building)

Description

Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "White Elephant Saloon (Blach Building). The land on this site, Lot 9, Block 3 of the original town plat of Albany, was purchased in 1882 by noted local restauranteur Charles Hartfield. He planned to build a restaurant next door, and the pending establishment was much anticipated by local diners. Shortly before his death in 1884, Hartfield sold the lot to Alabama businessman Max Blach. Blach was vice-president of the Albany Water Company. He and partner N. H. Burns brought a system of running water to the town in 1884. Blach … continued below

Physical Description

1 photograph : digital, col.

Creation Information

Belden, Dreanna L. April 14, 2006.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Photographing Texas and was provided by the UNT Libraries to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 3308 times, with 63 in the last month. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Description

Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "White Elephant Saloon (Blach Building). The land on this site, Lot 9, Block 3 of the original town plat of Albany, was purchased in 1882 by noted local restauranteur Charles Hartfield. He planned to build a restaurant next door, and the pending establishment was much anticipated by local diners. Shortly before his death in 1884, Hartfield sold the lot to Alabama businessman Max Blach. Blach was vice-president of the Albany Water Company. He and partner N. H. Burns brought a system of running water to the town in 1884. Blach began construction on this one-story native stone structure in March 1884. The building was completed in April and leased to J. R. Davis, who put it to its most infamous use. The White Elephant Saloon opened for business on May 1, 1884. Among its instantly popular features was a white elephant display which was removed from the rooftop early in the establishments heyday. The perpetrators were believed to be citizens who disapproved of the saloon's raucous business. Despite its popularity, Davis announced his intent to close the saloon in February 1886. The Blach building soon was leased to W. M. Wigley, who operated a dry goods and furniture store on this site. Succeeding furniture businesses occupied the building for many years. Blach's heirs sold the structure to S. C. Coffee in 1919. Coffee sold it in 1923 to T. J. Crow, who conveyed it to Albany businessman L. H. Hill (1859-1932) in 1925. The structure was used for various purposes over the years: it was the home of the Albany News in the 1940s and was the workshop and office of a pipe organ maker in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hill family maintained ownership of the edifice until 1977. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998."

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1 photograph : digital, col.

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Photographing Texas

These images come from individuals' travels across the state. Subjects include Texas scenery, wildlife, county courthouses, state parks, national parks, libraries, museums, historic sites, outdoor murals, architecture, monuments, and historic plaques -- a little bit of everything Texas!

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Creation Date

  • April 14, 2006

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Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • May 4, 2006, 12:19 p.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Aug. 13, 2019, 4:10 p.m.

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Yesterday: 0
Past 30 days: 63
Total Uses: 3,308
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  • 32.72255071230782, -99.29746775493675

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Belden, Dreanna L. Historic Plaque, White Elephant Saloon (Blach Building), photograph, April 14, 2006; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth13024/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

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