UnderMiner
Silver Member
- Jul 27, 2014
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- Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
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- All Treasure Hunting
Here is a historic find I made today. The key to room #249 of Hotel Del Monte, of Monterey California, the USA's first resort hotel ever. Many famous people and US presidents like Theodore Roosevelt stayed there.
Del Monte was built by the railroad baron Charles Crocker (1822-1888) of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1880 on land he acquired in advance of completing the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
Hotel Del Monte was the first resort hotel in North America.
In 1887 the first hotel burned down and was rebuilt. The second structure was damaged by the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 but survived until September 27th 1924 when it was again destroyed by fire. A third building was constructed in 1924 and still stands to this day but ceased being a hotel in 1942 when it was transformed into a training school by the US Navy for WWII.
From all the research I've done I am certain this key is from the second Hotel Del Monte from 1887-1924. What this means is this key could have once graced the hands Theodore Roosevelt, Earnest Hemingway, or any number of great turn-of-the-century American aristocrats who stayed there. I wonder who stole the key from California and brought it to NY? The site I am digging at dates at latest to the summer of 1924 (latest dated artifact recovered is from August 11th 1924, earliest positively identified is from 1896).
Fun Fact: You've probably heard of the brand Del Monte beans, peas, and other canned food. The brand we enjoy today originally started as the food supply company of the Del Monte hotel.
Del Monte was built by the railroad baron Charles Crocker (1822-1888) of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1880 on land he acquired in advance of completing the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
Hotel Del Monte was the first resort hotel in North America.
In 1887 the first hotel burned down and was rebuilt. The second structure was damaged by the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 but survived until September 27th 1924 when it was again destroyed by fire. A third building was constructed in 1924 and still stands to this day but ceased being a hotel in 1942 when it was transformed into a training school by the US Navy for WWII.
From all the research I've done I am certain this key is from the second Hotel Del Monte from 1887-1924. What this means is this key could have once graced the hands Theodore Roosevelt, Earnest Hemingway, or any number of great turn-of-the-century American aristocrats who stayed there. I wonder who stole the key from California and brought it to NY? The site I am digging at dates at latest to the summer of 1924 (latest dated artifact recovered is from August 11th 1924, earliest positively identified is from 1896).
Fun Fact: You've probably heard of the brand Del Monte beans, peas, and other canned food. The brand we enjoy today originally started as the food supply company of the Del Monte hotel.
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