Grand Ol' Gal of the Valley turns 120 years old

Celebration on the menu for Friday night

The Hotel Wolf and Restaurant is filled with more than just fresh prime rib. Inside those brick walls are several years of history - 120 years of history to be exact.

On New Year's Eve 1893, the Hotel Wolf held a masquerade party that the Saratoga Sun described as having "an immense crowd" and was "most pleasant in every way." Ten days later, the Hotel Wolf was open to the public.

Sitting on the corner of First and Bridge, the Hotel Wolf has become a must see for Saratoga tourists and locals alike. But the "Grand Ol' Gal of the Valley," would not be as grand as it is today without a great deal of hard work from some unlikely owners.

Owners Doug and Kathleen Campbell purchased the Wolf 1977 and it has been quite the ride for them.

"A friend of mine said that 'the Wolf Hotel is for sale in Saratoga, Wyoming: do you want to buy this with me?'" Doug Campbell said. "We put a deal together took over (the Wolf Hotel) on April Fools Day - April 1, 1977."

Doug, a Kemmerer, Wyo., native and University of Wyoming graduate, was working as a Civil Engineer in California prior to purchasing the Wolf. His wife, Kathleen, was a stewardess for United Airlines. The Campbells had no experience with the restaurant business, but they wanted to head back to the Cowboy State.

"We just wanted to move out of California," Kathy Campbell said.

"I was an engineer and my district was from Santa Barbra to the Mexican border and Clark County, Nev., and survived 30,000 miles a year on the freeways of Los Angeles and we just got tired of it and said we are going to head back to Wyoming," Doug added.

For some, it may appear odd that a former engineer and a airlines stewardess would fall into the restaurant business. But Doug said the transition between civil engineering and being a restaurant owner is not extremely difficult.

"My last (engineering job) was really geared towards more of a human element ... I was very comfortable around people and of course Kathleen was an airline stewardess for United Airlines," Doug said. "She had that ability to deal with people. That part came very easy."

Aside from the stage coaches parked out front and the beaver pelt hats worn by patrons, you might not see much of a difference in the Hotel Wolf building between 1894 and 2014. However, preserving the Victorian Style building with a functional restaurant and hotel did not come without a tremendous amount of effort.

"First of all, we did all of the electrical and we did all of the plumbing. Then we had a fire in 1989 so we redid all of the rooms. After that, we consolidated some of (the rooms)," Doug said.

The biggest addition to the Wolf was the kitchen. Before the kitchen was built, the old grill for the restaurant was hand built and located outside. Customers would walk out to the cook and say how they wanted their steaks.

Furthermore, their original menus were made out of wood and inscribed with wood burns.

The Wolf has become more than just a job for the Campbells: it's become a part of their family fabric. Having to work long hours in the early days, Kathleen remembers their family centering a lot of their life around the Wolf.

"There was one time when our oldest boy, Jason, was wrestling in a tournament at the high school and Doug was cooking steaks and somebody wanted a well done steak. And I called up Doug and told him 'come over right now he is going to wrestle in about three minuets. So Doug left this well done steak on the grill, went over and watched Jason wrestle, and came back and served the steak." Kathleen Campbell said.

The Campbells said that their children have also worked at the Wolf over the years.

Doug and Kathleen said that their business has always been about keeping the people Saratoga foremost in their mind-even in the worst of times.

"When the mines shut down," Doug said, "There were several times we wrote down a '0' for dinner that night, but we stayed open and we said we are going to maintain our hours."

The Campbells said they have always been extremely grateful for all of the local support they have been given. Associating with customers over there years has been an enjoyable experience for Kathleen especially.

"Just the people in general are my most favorite thing (about running The Wolf)," Kathleen Campbell said. Just because you meet some really interesting people who have become long term friends."

After 37 years, retirement for the Campbells doesn't appear to be apart of their game plan. However, they have expressed their desire to start to "cut back" on their owner duties.

"Until we sell (the Wolf), we can't retire. Because this is our retirement." Kathleen said.

The Campbells said they are planning a celebration of the 120th anniversary of The Hotel Wolf this friday from 6-9pm and everyone is welcome to join for music and appetizers.