Constructed 1892.
The historic Eklund Hotel has been a landmark for travelers of the southwest since the 1890s. It began as a two-story rock building in 1892 (the west side of the present buildings). The ground floor was occupied as a store with rooms for rent until 1894 when Carl Eklund brought in his elaborately carved bar which is still in use in the saloon. Mr. Eklund and his wife, Gerda, purchased the property in December 1897, and the east two stories were built in 1898 to include the hotel lobby, the dining room, and saloon. They added the third floor and the “opera balcony” or porch in 1905. The Eklunds kept the hotel as modern as possible with the addition of plumbing, steam heat, electricity, and telephones, as they became available.
The Eklund was the only first-class hotel between Trinidad, Colorado and Fort Worth, Texas for many years, and has long had a reputation for good food and drink.
In 1975, the dining room was renovated with the flocked wallpaper from that era as well as the bench seating which was created using some of the old headboards from the original beds. In 1992, the Eklund Hotel’s centennial, the establishment was purchased by a group of mostly local folks, known as the Eklund Association, Incorporated, for the purpose of preserving the Eklund for the town and for the future. The dining room and saloon continued to be in use, but the hotel closed in 1975, as it had become too outdated to be of service.
In 2004, the hotel was renovated and the 42 existing rooms were converted into 26 rooms, each with their own bath. Extensive work was also done on the hotel lobby and the saloon at that time. The Eklund closed in 2009, and was put up for sale. After a two-year hiatus, the “Hotel Eklund” is now under new ownership. It has been extensively cleaned, refurbished and “spruced up”.
15 Main St. Clayton, NM 88415 | 575-446-1939
photo by Elmo Baca.
