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Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Happy 50th, Belle - Durgango Herald
It may not be the oldest business in Durango - the train pre-dates the town, after all - but no building embodies the city's history quite like the Strater Hotel.
This Friday, the Strater will kick off a weeklong birthday party for two as the Diamond Belle Saloon celebrates its golden anniversary in the 120th year of the hotel's existence. In the years since Henry Strater opened the "Strater House" in 1887, the four-story, red brick landmark has welcomed the rich and famous from all walks of life. A partial list of notables includes legends of the West - Louis L'Amour, Otto Mears and Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall Gang (under an alias); politicians - Jack and Bobby Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Ambassador Leonard Firestone (son of the tire magnate); and celebrities galore, including General Tom Thumb, Will Rogers, Chevy Chase and Christie Brinkley (a scene from the movie "Vacation" was filmed in the lobby), Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. - Durango Herald
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