The Kelley Hotel on South Washington glistened on a snowy night in the 1960s. The hotel closed in 1970 after a glorious tenure. Ira D. Kelley founded the hotel in 1908. Business was brisk and a third story was added in 1927 when an elevator was added and the restaurant was opened. Mrs. Kelley required all men to wear a coat and tie in the restaurant. Smoking was forbidden at dining room tables. Ira Kelley operated the business until his death in 1941 and built several other buildings in the block on South Washington during his business career. The hotel was razed in 1972 to make way for a parking lot. Excerpted from The Chronicles of Allen County: 1945-2000
A look back in time
