My Grandmother, Mildred Kinsey, grew-up in Campbell, Missouri. She spent her teenage years during the early part of the Great Depression in the little town. Fortunately, her town was a stop along a major railroad line. That brought tourists and some job possibilities to town. It was 1934 and the peak of the Great Depression. The national employment was 21.7 percent with Missouri’s unemployment slightly higher. Jobs were scarce. Campbell had the fortunate circumstance of being a train stop along the major Cotton Belt line. It was one of fifteen stops between St. Louis and Dallas. During the 1930s the average speed for passenger trains was 40 miles per hour. Campbell was 230 miles from St. Louis along the rail line. Enter two dreamers, Louis McCutchen, Sr. and Daniel F. Pollock. In 1912, They envisioned the biggest, best hotel between St. Louis and Memphis. From this dream, the Pol-Mac Hotel emerged. Comparable to hotels in large cities, salesmen and others, so grateful to find excellent meals and service, comfortable rooms, and modern bathrooms, spread the word and the success of the new Pol-Mac was assured. A succession of competent managers kept this image intact for many years. Six passenger trains ran through Campbell daily. A porter from the Pol-Mac met each train with a big cart to convey the luggage. At one period, meeting the train was a Sunday event of many of the town "belles." Young ladies, dressed in their Sunday best, watched for a 'Beau Brummel', in the form of a dapper salesman, to step off the train. Later, these same young ladies were joined by a group of young men. They were always welcome in the parlor of the Pol-Mac, where they played the piano and sang the afternoon away. By 1920, The Pol-mac was the finest hotel on the Cotton Belt Line between St. Louis and Dallas. My Grandmother Mildred Kinsey graduated from high school and looked for a job. She found one at the Pol-Mac Hotel. In the beginning she washed dishes and then worked as waitress. The Pol-Mac had a great reputation fro service and was well-known for its fine meals. Here is the account from Mildred Kinsey: "It was the depression. All of our family worked hard. We were compelled to because those were difficult days and ours was large family to feed. We worked at whatever was available to us. The depression affected most all families at that time. There was very little money circulated, and therefore very few jobs for earning wages. Those times of working hard helped us develop our sense of responsibility and independence. During this time the passenger trains were still operating and frequently stopping in Campbell. I was working at the time as a waitress at the Pol-Mac Hotel. I made $4.00 to $6.00 a week, waiting tables and washing dishes. It was 1934 and I felt good to have any job because of the depression. I usually worked all day. I would go to work at lunchtime to serve and then I helped do the dishes. I would have a two hour break, and then I would return to serve dinner, do the dishes and then go home late in the evening. I made good money for the depression and I was happy to have the job. Fancy people would come in on the train and stay at the hotel. People came from all over. Since the hotel was across the street from the depot, I met many interesting people. One time I met Harry S. Truman and his campaign group when he was running for the Senate. He stopped and ate the hotel. During my conversation with him I had little thought that he could someday be President of the United States." "Another time I served and had a conversation with heavyweight boxing champ, Jess Willard. He was big man! I heard my dad say that he had seen him fight in the ring one time." Jess Willard was 6 foot 6 1/2 inches tall and was the tallest boxer until the late 20th century. He knocked out Jack johnson in April 1915 for the heavyweight title. He was known for his great strength and ability to absorb tremendous punishment, although he is mostly known for his title loss to Jack Dempsey. Willard held the championship for more than four years. Today his reign is considered the 11th longest in the heavyweight division. He lost the title to Jack Dempsey in 1919 in one of the most severe beatings ever in a championship bout. Mildred continued, "These well-off people would sometimes tip a dime, or maybe even a quarter. All of us girls would dump our tips on the table in the kitchen and then share them evenly."
Mildred continued to work at Pol-Mac through most of 1934 until she married Harlin Adams in 1934. The Pol-Mac Hotel discontinued operation in 1954.
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Kinsey FamilyEd Adams Archives
June 2014
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