Garden City Hotel was located at 124 N. Howard Street. Established in 1929, it was managed by John B. Thomas. The hotel was later sold and bought in the mid-1950s under the name Ritz Plaza Hotel. During Thomas’ ownership, rooms cost $1.00 a day and $3.50 a week. It was stated that the rooms had steam heat shower and tub baths.
It is unclear of Thomas’ marital status, however there was a divorce between him and an Ethel Thomas in 1944. Many of Thomas’ personal escapades are not recovered. Most of him is known through his management of Garden City Hotel.
Thomas was looking to hire middle-aged women for chamber maids. It was a preference that the women were experienced and white. There was no other information on the hospitality staff other than this.
Thomas ran into issues concerning lottery ticket possession. He was fined $50.00 and arraigned in 1933. This issue could have possible affected the selling of the hotel in the mid-1950s. Monetary issues continued after Thomas’ management, as the owners of the Ritz Plaza hotel were served fines for liquor violations.
Green Book Details
Garden City Hotel appears in the Green Book from 1938 to 1956 at Howard & Furnace Sts. in Akron under the category Hotels.
Additional information coming soon
See also Garden City (tavern).
Resources
- “Business And Professional Directory of Representative Firms In Summit County”, The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH) Oct 2, 1930, pg 36.
- “Female Help Wanted”, The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH) Sep 3, 1926, pg 31.
- “U.S. Seizes Ritz Plaza Hotel Here For Back Income Taxes”, The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH) Aug 20, 1955, pg 1.