Sitting on what once was railroad property, the corner of 3rd Street and Runnels has been through many changes over the years. Once alive with antelope and turkey, this rugged land slowly gave way to cowboys and buffalo hunters visiting the nearby saloons and dance halls toward the end of the 1800's. However, it wasn't until the oil boom of the late 1920's that W.R. Settles bought the property and began the construction of this historic building.

The cost of original construction was a reported to be $500,000-a fortune in those days. Opening in October of 1930 to great fanfare and support by the local community, The Settles Hotel was often compared to the finest hotels of its day. In its prime, the Settles hosted dignitaries and celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Lawrence Welk, Herbert Hoover, and many others.

View more photos and archives from the Settle's historical archive.

Press Archive: Contains 43 articles
Photo Archive 1: Contains 87 photographs
Photo Archive 2: Contains 8 photographs
Photo Archive 3: Contains 28 photographs