Hermitage Fire, 1939
Billy Wilson
In 1889 William “Uncle Billy” Wilson purchased the old Hermitage Camp and gradually improved the area, turning it into a first-class hotel and resort. The hotel was the first built in Ogden Canyon. It had 60 guest rooms and several large dining halls. Guests could also enjoy boating, swimming, picnic areas, and nightly dances. Famous visitors included presidents, governors, and musicians. The Union Pacific also offered side tours to guests traveling to Yellowstone National Park.
In 1936 the building was sold to Albert Coop who had hoped to renovate and revive the hotel, as business had lagged after the Union Pacific tours of the canyon had stopped. He purchased the hotel for only $4,800.
In the morning hours of January 4, 1939, Bette Masters was driving through the canyon when she noticed flames from the Hermitage. Driving up the road, she reached the hotel just as there was an explosion inside. She ran for help to a nearby cottage, and the neighbors called the fire department.
By the time the fire trucks arrived, the building was completely engulfed in flames and the roof collapsed. The firemen continued to fight the blaze for four hours, struggling to pump water from the low-flowing river.
In the end, the building was a total loss. Coop estimated that the damages totaled at least $13,000. The cause of the fire was not known for certain, but officials assumed faulting wiring was to blame. Head waiter, James Andrew McPherson, was devastated when he heard about the fire. “I felt as though the bottom had dropped out of everything,” he told reporters. Coop hoped to rebuild, but his plans never came to fruition
