Greenville in Wayne County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

St. Francis Hotel

Photographed by Thomas Smith, November 19, 2021

1. St. Francis Hotel Marker

Inscription.

"…kids used to climb those steel post and slip into the show. The lady that owned it would paint those post withhold waste oil from the garages to keep the kids from climbing on it (to get to the theater)."
Paul Stokely, 1987

Ms. Watson operated hotels in Greenville for forty years. The upstairs portion of the building contained a theater and the hotel was also used for entertainment, social activities and served as public shelter during floods. (Marker Number B.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 37° 5.998′ N, 90° 27.376′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Missouri, in Wayne County. It can be reached from U.S. 67 2 miles south of County Road 221, on the right when traveling south. Located on the "Memory Lane" trail through Old Greenville, inside the Greenville Recreation Area, Wappapello Lake. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Greenville MO 63944, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Missouri. It is also in the American Ozarks,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wayne County Bank (a few steps from this marker); Keep Right! (within shouting distance of this marker); Ward's Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Wayne County Courthouse

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Wilcox Service Station (within shouting distance of this marker); She Poisoned His Tomato Wine (within shouting distance of this marker); Harry S. Truman (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wayne County Courthouse At Old Greenville (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenville.

St. Francis Hotel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 28, 2022

2. St. Francis Hotel

Aunt Susie Scott-Watson (owner) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 28, 2022

3. Aunt Susie Scott-Watson (owner)

St. Francis Hotel Site and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 28, 2022

4. St. Francis Hotel Site and Marker

Quitting Business Sale image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain

5. Quitting Business Sale

The September 19, 1940 edition of The Greenville Sun ran this advertisement announcing a final sale of St. Francis Hotel furnishings, held the following Saturday. The same edition of the paper ran a lengthy article detailing Susan Scott-Watson's forty years as a hotel operator and leading figure in Greenville while announcing her retirement.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2021, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 465 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 30, 2021, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 11, 2022, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.