Dr. Henry Mallory
Direct Descendant of Sir Thomas Mallory who wrote about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table.
Captain Henry H. MalloryDr. Henry H. Mallory was born in Botetourt County, Virginia, February 27, 1822. He served as a Captain in the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and later as a Surgeon in the 4th Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry. He served as Corresponding Secretary on the Hamilton, Ohio Committee (1901) for the construction of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in that city.
Written by Dr. Mallory:
The Straub House -- Rossville's most prominent hotel -- "was the most attractive place in this city," said Dr. Henry Mallory, who had moved to the community in 1849. The Miami House -- which eventually became the Straub House -- was built on the northwest corner of Main and Water (later A) streets by John Winton in 1824. Its name came from its proximity to the five-year-old Miami Bridge.
Later, according to early historians, its owners and operators included John J. Walker, Peter Schertz (or Shurz), Mike Huffman, Frederick Wehrnhorn, J. Humbach, Gottfried Kockler and a Mr. Northup.
During this succession, its name was changed to the Bridge Hotel and back to the Miami House before being acquired by Felix Straub.
Straub -- formerly with the Schmidtman House at the northwest corner of High and Front streets in Hamilton -- claimed to have leased the Falconer House, according to a December 1851 newspaper ad.
In the announcement, he pledged, "with the aid of the best of servants, to do everything calculated to accommodate the traveling public in the best of style." It also boasts of "stabling and shedding" which is "well supplied with grain."
That philosophy of full, first-class service continued when he acquired the former Miami House in about 1860. After a remodeling, it was renamed the Straub House and, according to Frederick Cone, "soon gained a reputation second to none."
Felix Straub "knew all about the hotel business, and when he bought the Straub House, he brought the whole experience of his past to make this the most attractive place in this city," said Dr. Mallory of the new owner. But he didn't do it alone.
"Felix Straub," said Mallory, "was the most fortunate in having a helpmate who could make anything attractive that she undertook. The Straub House externally was not such as to make a favorable impression," Mallory noted. "It was illy constructed, and too small for the business. But Mrs. Straub, by her magic hand and large social qualities, and the ease and grace that marked her movements, literally won the good will of everybody, and the Straub House was known all over the country," Mallory said.
Mrs. Straub continued to operate the hotel after her husband's death. Then the hotel came into the hands of her son-in-law, Eugene Allen Weiler, who had married Josephine Straub.
Weiler had served an apprentice at the yellow brick Straub House before he took over its direction. Gene Weiler, according to Robert M. Sohngen, had been "a great showman" before "returning home from his trouping to assist in the management of the hotel."
Already known for its food and hospitality, "it became a rendezvous for the great and near great in show business," recalled Sohngen. Its guests included William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody; P. T. Barnum and John Robinson of circus fame; James Whitcomb Riley, Joseph Jefferson, Robert Mantell, Julia Gaylord, Clement Laird Vallandigham and others from the realms of show business, the arts and politics.
In the 1892-93 city directory, George A. Huber is listed as owner of the Straub House. In the 1896 directory, there is no listing for a Straub House.
It was torn down about 1899 or 1900 and replaced by the Gordon Flat Building. That residential complex was destroyed in the 1913 flood.
When the Great Miami River was widened for flood protection, most of A Street -- including the site of the Straub House -- became part of the levee.
The Straub House -- Rossville's most prominent hotel -- "was the most attractive place in this city," said Dr. Henry Mallory, who had moved to the community in 1849. The Miami House -- which eventually became the Straub House -- was built on the northwest corner of Main and Water (later A) streets by John Winton in 1824. Its name came from its proximity to the five-year-old Miami Bridge.
Later, according to early historians, its owners and operators included John J. Walker, Peter Schertz (or Shurz), Mike Huffman, Frederick Wehrnhorn, J. Humbach, Gottfried Kockler and a Mr. Northup.
During this succession, its name was changed to the Bridge Hotel and back to the Miami House before being acquired by Felix Straub.
Straub -- formerly with the Schmidtman House at the northwest corner of High and Front streets in Hamilton -- claimed to have leased the Falconer House, according to a December 1851 newspaper ad.
In the announcement, he pledged, "with the aid of the best of servants, to do everything calculated to accommodate the traveling public in the best of style." It also boasts of "stabling and shedding" which is "well supplied with grain."
That philosophy of full, first-class service continued when he acquired the former Miami House in about 1860. After a remodeling, it was renamed the Straub House and, according to Frederick Cone, "soon gained a reputation second to none."
Felix Straub "knew all about the hotel business, and when he bought the Straub House, he brought the whole experience of his past to make this the most attractive place in this city," said Dr. Mallory of the new owner. But he didn't do it alone.
"Felix Straub," said Mallory, "was the most fortunate in having a helpmate who could make anything attractive that she undertook. The Straub House externally was not such as to make a favorable impression," Mallory noted. "It was illy constructed, and too small for the business. But Mrs. Straub, by her magic hand and large social qualities, and the ease and grace that marked her movements, literally won the good will of everybody, and the Straub House was known all over the country," Mallory said.
Mrs. Straub continued to operate the hotel after her husband's death. Then the hotel came into the hands of her son-in-law, Eugene Allen Weiler, who had married Josephine Straub.
Weiler had served an apprentice at the yellow brick Straub House before he took over its direction. Gene Weiler, according to Robert M. Sohngen, had been "a great showman" before "returning home from his trouping to assist in the management of the hotel."
Already known for its food and hospitality, "it became a rendezvous for the great and near great in show business," recalled Sohngen. Its guests included William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody; P. T. Barnum and John Robinson of circus fame; James Whitcomb Riley, Joseph Jefferson, Robert Mantell, Julia Gaylord, Clement Laird Vallandigham and others from the realms of show business, the arts and politics.
In the 1892-93 city directory, George A. Huber is listed as owner of the Straub House. In the 1896 directory, there is no listing for a Straub House.
It was torn down about 1899 or 1900 and replaced by the Gordon Flat Building. That residential complex was destroyed in the 1913 flood.
When the Great Miami River was widened for flood protection, most of A Street -- including the site of the Straub House -- became part of the levee.