The town of Mentone, Alabama, perched on top of Lookout Mountain, has always had the grand old Mentone Springs Hotel and its neighbor, the White Elephant Galleries, as a focal point. Entering the town from the West, visitors were always first greeted by the majestic hotel and White Elephant. After reigning as the queen of Mentone for 130 years, the hotel and its neighbor were completely destroyed by a fire on the evening of March 1st, 2014. This website is intended to celebrate those 130 years with photos, videos, and written words collected from the internet or contributed by interested supporters.
We've attempted to attribute these photos and videos to their authors as much as possible. If you see one without an author's name and you know the name, please email it to rjhoffman@yahoo.com. If we've used any of your photos, videos, or writings that you'd like removed from the website, email and let us know.
We've initiated with a few photos and a poem below. Use menus on top of the page for more.
Not sure if everyone saw this lovely poem posted on the hotel's
Read and enjoy!
Mentone Springs Hotel 1884
From the minds of men with vision , I was built upon this ground.
By their hearts and craftsmen's hands, My beauty would be found
I rose against the sunset, So many years ago,
To take my place as watchman For the valley far below.
My grandeur was, as promised, For all to come and see.
With songs, love and laughter, They put the soul in me.
Generations came for comfort, To rest, relax and stay;
Memories of lifetimes shared, Would begin anew each day.
From horse hooves to the sounds of wheels, A time too soon began
When I would see the uphill fight, To gain my relevance once again.
As the seasons had so swiftly passed, (I was long since past my prime)
Your hands reached deep inside of me, To save me, just in time.
But the lonely years of aging, As reality has taken its toll,
Only prove that beauty was not outside, True beauty was in the soul.
To those I owed my existence, And all of those who loved and cared
I leave this site forever more, To fond memories we have shared.
So do not pass me by with sorrow now, As though nothing is left to see,
Reminisce the Songs, the Love and Laughter,
"Remember the Soul in me"
2014
Photos below show the hotel through the years. Some of the dates are guesses, based on the features of the hotel. If you have more accurate information as to dates, please email rjhoffman@yahoo.com (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
White Elephant Galleries
Click on the Groundhog photo above to read the April 2014 issue, dedicated to memories of the old hotel.
