Show early american ordinary forerunner of the hotel the early american public house or ordinary as it was commonly called was the crude forerunner of the modern hotel in this country with the development of roads these ordinary increased sed gradually the old name was dropped drooped and the public houses with their taprooms taproots tap rooms and great fireplaces became known as taverns about the time of the revolution the word hotel was found in general use relates a writer in the chicago tribune in 1794 the city hotel a new york house with 73 rooms was opened it was considered a tremendous establishment in its time soon other hotels were built in in philadelphia boston and baltimore the new establishments were confined however to the principal eastern cities until the development of the railroad the first steam trains carried many commercial travelers westward into new business territories quickly their numbers increased and as quickly hotels sprang uv up in the towns and cities which became their stopping places |