Cedar City had a central downtown business district. There was a JC Penny’s, Woolworths, a Five and Dime, a office supply store, several dress shops and mens clothing stores. A Bank and the Post office and the Carnegie Library. Hunter Hardware sold sporting goods, tools and in the front of the store they had china and kitchen appliances and records. At Christmas time they stocked toys. Mother would take us there to look at the Christmas toys. It was wonderful to imagine what Santa would bring. I learned years later that my Dad sold his hand tied fishing flies and did gunsmith work for Hunter Hardware and earned credit at the store that he and Mom used for Christmas.
On the north end of Main Street on one corner was the Lund Hotel and across the street was the Union Pacific Train Station and on the other corner was the City Park and swimming pool. I mention the Lund Hotel because my Dad belonged to the Rotary Club and every year they would have a Father Daughter Lunch and these were held at the Lund Hotel. I remember having to be on my best behavior. Dad, Sandra, Kathryn and me. Sometimes, one of the men would not have a daughter so Dad would lend him one of us for the day. I felt so important when my Dad would stand up and introduce us. The room would be packed and you could hardly move your arms to eat. It was so exciting to be waited on and served our food and not have to do the dishes. The place settings would always have coffee cups and as soon as we sat down we would turn our cups upside down to signal the wattress that we did not drink coffee. Later my Dad joined the Lions Club. I think he liked this group better. He became President several times and Mother was active in the Lady Lions and was President of that organization also. They would go to National Conventions and would come home with so many fun pins and souvenirs. The Lions Club did a Father Daughter Lunch also and these were always fun. After the Lund Hotel closed meetings were held at the El Ray Motel.
Is the Lund Hotel the same as El Escalante Hotel? That was on the corner of main street just South of the UP Station. When I was in high school I used to help serve banquets there and then, between my Jr. and Senior years when one o the members of our ward owned the hotel I worked there as a maid. I started to work there the next summer after high school graduation but a couple of weeks into the job I was offered a job working in the typing pool in the directors office at CSU so I quit and never looked back! i really hated being a maid!