Rueben S Ball

When Susan C Wright passed away in 1893 she willed the hotel to her younger brother Rueben S. Ball. R.S. Ball had come to Colorado June 6, 1890 at 23 years old and established a saloon in Creede, Colorado. It was later destroyed in the Creede fire at which time R.S. Ball returned to Meeker to help his sister run the Meeker Hotel. R.S. was responsible for building the structure that stands today. He erected the two story center in 1896 using 200,000 bricks! (Many believed he was still apprehensive after losing his saloon in Creede’s fire). He added the east and west wings in 1904 and it is his enthusiasm for hunting that we have to thank for the beginnings of the trophy collection in the lobby.

The construction process involved in erecting the two-story center of the building you see today lends new meaning to the term “speedy construction”. Here you will see five weeks of progress using materials that were being shipped by freight wagon from Rifle.

June 9, 1896

June 13, 1896

June 17, 1896

July 7, 1896

July 15, 1896

July , 1896