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Newton
Crumley
(1911-1962)
Corner
of "A" Street and Juniper
Elko,
Elko County, Nevada
I
was at the museum the other day and one of the gang asked me what subject I
was digging into today. I said "George
Russell,
but I was only digging a shallow hole." This page is also a bit
shallow. It does not do justice to the man. But it is a
start.
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Remembering
11 people who made a difference in Nevada.
By Richard Moreno
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Newton H. Crumley (1911-1962):
In 1941, Newt Crumley forever changed the way casinos did
business in Nevada. Prior to that time, most casinos believed
that their customers came for one thing - to gamble.
However, Crumley, owner of the Commercial Hotel in Elko,
recognized that gamblers couldn't possibly spend all their
time at the tables and decided to offer something else -
big-name entertainment.
Starting on April 26, bandleader Ted Lewis, a popular radio
star of the 1930s and '40s, performed for a week at the
Commercial. The move was bold - Lewis earned $12,000 for the
gig - but it paid off with standing-room-only crowds and more
gamblers in Crumley's casino.
The hotelier later booked Sophie Tucker, Jimmy Dorsey,
Lawrence Welk, and Chico Marx. Soon, hotels in Reno and Las
Vegas took note of Crumley's inspiration and brought in
big-name entertainers.
Crumley, who grew up in Tonopah and Reno, graduated from the
University of Nevada in Reno and became a pilot in the U.S.
Army Air Corps.
Shortly after bringing Ted Lewis to Elko, Crumley returned to
active duty in the Second World War, later retiring with the
rank of colonel.
In 1955, Crumley, who also owned the Ranchinn Motor Hotel in
Elko, sold his two properties and purchased the Holiday Hotel
in Reno. He was elected to the University of Nevada Board of
Regents and served in the State Senate.
Crumley died in 1962 after a plane he was piloting crashed
northeast of Tonopah in a freezing rainstorm.
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10
Great Trivial Pursuits
Testing your knowledge of Nevada geography,
whiskers, and opera.
By Richard Moreno |
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5 What was the
first Nevada hotel-casino to offer big-name entertainment?
Surprisingly, it wasn't a Reno or Las Vegas club that launched
the state's star-entertainment era. In 1941, the Commercial
Hotel in Elko booked well-known bandleader Ted Lewis and his
orchestra for an eight-day engagement at a cost of $12,000.
The resulting publicity attracted record crowds, and
Commercial owner Newton Crumley followed with other
performers, such as Paul Whiteman, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and
the Andrews Sisters. Elko's initial competitive advantage
quickly evaporated when clubs in Reno and Las Vegas adopted
the same strategy.
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Click on photos to see original high clarity digital
photographs
| Newt
Crumley Home - A and Juniper Streets, Elko, Nevada |
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| (48)
Commercial
Casino
Probably one of the most historical buildings in Elko. It's
forerunner was the Humboldt Lodging House, built in 1869. In
June 1893, it was sold and renamed the Commercial Hotel. It
launched the first big name entertainment
in Nevada in 1941, when Ted Lewis and his orchestra played in the
lounge.
On
December 4, 1914, at 12:30am John
C. Coble walked into the Commercial
Hotel/Casino through the door at 4th Street. Went up to the
front desk asked the Night Clerk, Mr. Owen Merrick, for some
stationery. Wrote a short note, then went to the unoccupied
ladies restroom - shot himself in the head with a Smith &
Wesson .32 caliber revolver.
Bing
Crosby spent many hours at the Commercial Hotel while ranching in
Northeastern Nevada
The
Bradley Opera House once the cultural center of Elko, used to sit in
the Commercial parking lot on third and Idaho (see second
picture). Before it was demolished in the 1960's the house was a
favorite spot for plays, dances, graduations, movies and athletic
events.
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| Newt
Crumley was born in Tonapah, Nevada on February 3, 1911
He died in a
plane crash 40 miles northeast of Tonapah on February 10, 1962 |
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Additional Information: Northeastern
Nevada Museum
If you know or would like to add anything about this page,
please let me know.
© 2001 - Elko Rose Garden Association
Recent Photos by Dan Turner
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