Memories shared at the Hotel Wolf

The Hotel Wolf was standing room only most of Friday night as customers and friends came to celebrate with the Campbells the 120th anniversary of the Hotel Wolf. The Campbells have owned the Wolf for 37 years. The Campbell family made sure there was plenty of appetizers for their guests, filling a table in the front of the bar with food and a table in the back room with a variety of desserts.

Doug said Kathy had been working on preparing food for the party since Jan. 7. The couple greeted guests all night long as three bartenders kept up with the flow of drinks, and family members and staff kept the food platters full.

Rick and Carol Hughes have been coming to The Hotel Wolf long before Doug and Kathy Campbell owned it. Rick Hughes remembers the bar, which is now the restaurant, being dark and smoky.

"I remember getting my hair cut by Ed Hetherington," Rick said. Rick became very good friends with Ed and Mary Moore. "Mary was good as gold to Carol and I, she almost treated us like her kids. She watched us grow up," Rick said.

"When Doug and Kathy took over, they started providing such a great service, it because more of a landmark than it ever was." The remodel, the upgrade of the food service developed it into the landmark it is today. "Doug and Kathy become such a part of the community in so many aspects, you can't pick one. As far as a draw to Saratoga, it has been fascinating for us. We got to watch it transform from what it was before to what it is now and watch the families grow with it."

Rick described how what is now the restaurant at the Hotel Wolf was a bar when Mary Moore owned it. She had big jars of pickled eggs and the bar sat where the salad bar is now located. "It had a western movie look to it," Carol said.

The other side of the hotel was a barber shop and an office. That is now where the bar and back dining room area is located.

The original bar is located in the old Sjoden home on River Street and is now the home for the Trout Club. The other bar is located at the Saratoga Museum.

Rick said when he was in high school, the workers at Big Creek Ranch didn't drive, so when they would come to town, they would stay at the Hotel Wolf and when it was time for them to go back to Big Creek, Mary would hire him to take the workers back to Big Creek Ranch. "That was always interesting," Rick said.

Sisters Cecila and Mary Carey are from Fort Collins and Lakewood, Colo., respectively and have been coming to the Hotel Wolf for 10 years. Friday night, they were dressed in late 1800s dress for the Hotel Wolf party.

Their very first memory of Saratoga was the police department. The women's mother had spent four hours in the hot pool and got sick. The women came to get their mother's car. Mary said, "The police were so nice. They asked 'How is your mother? Is she going to make it?' They were so nice and they sent us to eat lunch at the Hotel Wolf."

They have been coming back ever since. Later in the evening, the women changed into chamber maid clothing and helped the staff of the Hotel Wolf clear tables.

Lindy Glode's favorite memory is coming on her first date to the Hotel Wolf with her husband Mike Glode. "As a kid we would ski in Ryan Park and come here afterward," Lindy said. The Hotel Wolf has been a big part of her life, she said.

Larry Uhling said he has been coming to the Hotel Wolf for 13 years, and probably the most favorite memory he has is of their burgers. "My kids love them," Larry said. "It's just nice to come and be a part of it. I enjoy the heck out of the Campbells and the Wolf."

LeAnn Uhling shared her memory of meeting C.J. Box at the Hotel Wolf. "He had lived in Saratoga and he completely went through the history of the Chamber of Commerce and how he worked for the Chamber and how he got into using local people for characters in his books," LeAnn said.

Dennis Cease, of Glenrock Wyo., said, "Been coming here for 20 years. My favorite memory is probably the same all the time, it's the awesome hospitality."

Chris Shannon said, "As soon as I started working here I found out why this place is so successful and that was because Doug and Kathy Campbell are taskmasters and they pay attention to the details."

"I was stuck here when 9/11 happened and between Shivley's and the Wolf I survived because it was so upsetting but being at the Wolf, it was comforting," Cindy Bloomquist said.

Joe Jones has been coming to the Wolf for 70 years, he is now 76 years old. He remembers a barber shop was once in the Hotel Wolf. "We have had a lot of fun here," Jones and his wife Carol said.

Marty Perue shared one her many memories of when she and Dick Perue got married. "Mary Moore owned the hotel and knew all of the Perues," Marty said. Bob Perue had enough of partying after the wedding and came over to the Hotel Wolf and got a room. "No one knew where he was, so we started looking for (Bob)." Elsie, Bob's wife, Fred and Celia Bomar (Marty's parents) and Marty and Dick started looking for Bob. Mary would not tell the group which room Bob was in, so they started knocking on every door until they found him.

"If you want a good secluded room, you come to the Hotel Wolf," Marty said.

Pat Rollison, for once, was left speechless when asked for his favorite memory of the Hotel Wolf. He had to think for several minutes before coming up with an answer. Later on, he shared a memory of how he tried to get in the bar and they would not let him. When asked why they would not let him in, he said, "because I was underaged." Pat added the Hotel Wolf has always been the hot spot to go in town.

Gib Blumenthal said he used to come in the side door of the Hotel Wolf to get a haircut when he was in high school. "Bob Jackson was the barber," Gib recalled. When Gib would go to get his haircut, the barber was not in the barber shop, but in the bar, so Gib would have to get Bob and then get him to come out of the bar to get a hair cut.

Leslie McLinskey met her husband, Pat, at the Hotel Wolf. "Meghan (Campbell-Pedersen) and I were hired to work at Encampment School at the same time," Leslie said. They became good friends. Meghan is the daughter of Doug and Kathy Campbell. One afternoon Leslie and Meghan were hanging out at the Wolf when Pat came in.

E.J. Glode remembers his dad, Joe Glode, would make him eat his medium-rare steak sandwich. "My dad always ate his rare, but would not let me have it rare enough. He always ordered me a medium rare," E.J. said. "Now I eat it rare. The people who have worked at the Hotel Wolf will understand that story," E.J. said.

Joe Glode said he couldn't share his memories, because anything he told the Saratoga Sun could not be put in print.

Pam Kraft came to the Valley the same year the Campbells did. Pam shared her story with Kathy later in the evening. The first place Pam stayed was at the Hotel Wolf. Pam was interviewing for a position at Encampment School.

"I first got to town and checked in at the Hotel Wolf," Pam said. The rooms were really old, Pam said. "With the old spring beds," Kathy added. Pam said she meandered downstairs and she met a few people. She met Mike Self, who was the Campbells partner at the time. Pam also met Sally O'Brien and Jill Banger, who were working as servers at the Hotel Wolf. They eventually became roommates renting a house in Encampment.

Pam was chatting with Heinrich, the bartender, and he asked what she was doing in town. Pam, who was from Michigan, said she had a job interview and was hoping to get a job at the Encampment School. Heinrich told her she was going to meet a rancher and marry him within the year. That prediction came true.