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What career path led J.T. McCready to being a hotelier?

Slabtown Tours Fun Facts May 4, 2025May 4, 20251905 Fair, American Inn, McCready Pickles, Mrs. McCready

Fun Fact #80 Isn’t it fascinating to discover the unexpected paths people take in life? Today’s fun fact dives into the story of Mrs. J.T. McCready, the woman who ran the only official hotel of the 1905 Fair right here in Portland!

So, what surprising career journey led Mrs. McCready to become a hotelier for such a significant event? Was she a wordsmith, a culinary artist, a show business mogul, or something else entirely?

A) Poet B) Pickle Maker C) Restauranteur D) Impresario

Image on a hotel (postcard) refection on the lake notes the hotel — Mark Borckardt Numismatic Postcards courtesy: NNP at Washington University in St. Louis

The answer might just leave you in a bit of a pickle of surprise!

Answer: B) Pickle Maker/Relish Maker

That’s right! Before she was welcoming guests to her hotel, Mrs. J.T. McCready was renowned for her delicious pickles and preserves. Let’s dig into the fascinating story behind this unexpected transition:

A clipping below from an October 31, 1885 article reveals that Mrs. McCready opened a shop specializing in preserves, jellies, and, of course, her famous pickles. Her father was a politician in Buffalo, but her foray into the culinary world began more organically. She started “in business” by making preserves for a friend who was busy caring for a sick father. Her knack for creating amazing pickles quickly garnered attention and demand grew, leading her to open her own shop.

Fast forward to the Pan-American Exposition (World’s Fair) held in Buffalo, New York in 1901, and you’d find Mrs. McCready as a successful vendor. Her entrepreneurial spirit and proven ability to manage a business were exactly what fair organizers were looking for. Following the negativity surrounding President McKinley’s assassination at the Buffalo fair and lingering safety concerns from the horrific H.H. Holmes murders at the 1893 Chicago Fair, the need for strong and capable leadership with a women’s touch was paramount.

While Ellsworth Statler had successfully managed fair hotels in Buffalo and St. Louis, Portland had a different vision for their 1905 event. They wanted a woman at the helm, and Mrs. McCready’s track record as a successful entrepreneur, who had already navigated the complexities of a World’s Fair as a vendor, made her the perfect choice to take the reins of the official hotel. (To learn more about the hotel: American Inn Fun Fact #30.)

It’s a testament to Mrs. McCready’s adaptability and business acumen that she could transition from crafting delectable pickles to managing the accommodation needs of a major international event. Her story reminds us that sometimes the most unexpected paths can lead to remarkable achievements.

What do you think of Mrs. McCready’s journey? Did you see that answer coming? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Slabtown Fun Fact #30: The American Inn a small piece of a historic hotel saved

Slabtown Tours Fun Facts December 3, 2016April 1, 20201905 Fair, American Inn, NW Northrup

Text on Ad: The American Inn Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition Portland, Oregon. The Only Hotel Within Exposition Grounds.

american_inn_at_the_lewis_and_clark_exposition — The American Inn (Courtesy Normal Gholston) A view with Guild’s Lake in the foreground.

Yes the American Inn Condominiums were build out of materials from the American Inn

The images I have come across over the years are like the one above. I thought it was possible that the center section was saved and moved to NW Northrup. I only recently found an advertisment below for the hotel and realized that the hotel was a much more massive building than I had previously thought.

John Karlyle had a permit out for a new three-story “flats” structure on July 25, 1906-December 22, 1906 permit for 691 Northrup street. What was exciting was the hand scrawled note on the back of the permit card.” This bldg., is built with material from the American inn if the fair grounds.” More curious perhaps was the note on the other side of the card “This man I had arrested for doing work with out license.” The permit had no name of the plumber just “hired [his] owner.” Pretty exciting that a hundred years ago a city inspector could have a contractor arrested.

The advertisement below right is from the Sunday Oregonian August 26, 1906 for a “high-class Hotel” situated at 689-691-6930695 Northrup Street to be completed next month. The drawing looks far more akin to the American Inn than the reality on the street today. With this drawing in hand in the field you can see where many of the decretive front façade columns and porch features were once attached. The stucco patches are clearly visible and the doors to nowhere on the second and third floors would have once been for access to the former porches.

Oregonian Ad for the completion of the Hotel on NW Northrup August 26, 1906 p 18- the address of the agent at the bottom and the 1930s change of address and no referance to the American Inn made this ad a hidden treasure.

"The American Inn, World's Fair Grounds, Portland Oregon" The Pacific Monthly-Advertising Section — “The American Inn, World’s Fair Grounds, Portland Oregon” The Pacific Monthly-Advertising Section 1905

The permit card was enough to close the case.