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From:  
James C. Orasan 1991
William VanDuzer 1966
Kenneth Baker 1959
Hugh Westfall 1958
Frank Prins 1946
Wesley-Dorothy Lewis 1945
Harry Bull 1943
Dawson Howell 1925
D Howell 1918
Dewitt Graham 1910
C.P. Miller 1890
Thomas B Wall 1889
Henry Stark. 1860

 

The Borough of Tunkhannock was organized in 1841, holding it's first charter election in September of that year.
The first school house was built and used for the double purpose of church and school in 1816. The first hotel in
Tunkhannock was built by John McCord in 1811. Carter Hickock built a 1- 1/2 story wooden structure on
the corner that watered all the horses going North to Montrose and South to Wilkes-Barre. In fact over 2/3 of
the Borough of Tunkhannock obtained their water from this well. (For a picture of a "well-sweep" we refer to the
painting on the wall opposite the fireplaces in the main dining room). There has been a hotel on the site of the
present Prince Hotel since John Montanye kept a tavern on that corner in 1832.
 

In the 1870's Tunkhannock was a lumbering center and
boasted six hotels, four of which were operated by lumber companies. A large nick in one of the front pillars bears
evidence of this era, for it was made by an axe swung by
one lusty lumberjack at another during the revelry of a trip to
town on pay night A fire on October 27, 1870 destroyed 22 buildings which included most of these hotels. As a result of this tragic fire, the Triton Hose Company was organized on
November 16, 1872. The Borough Council bought 1,000 feet
of leather hose and a fire carriage and during the winter erected
a fire house. Of the seven hotels this is the only one in existence.
 
The Prince Hotel (formerly Wall's Hotel) was built in 1844 by Henry Stark.  In the early days each guest's room had its own wood-burning fireplace and below was the comfortable country dining room. The present owners have uncovered two of the fireplaces which heated the main dining room and one fireplace which heated the main sitting room. At the rear of the hotel
was a fine livery stable complete with a bell which could be rung from inside so that the dashing gentlemen of the day lost no
time between refreshments and mounting The main portion of the hotel consists of six stone pillars that are nine feet high
sixteen inches square and weigh between 1 /2 to 2 tons each. They were hauled by workmen from Nicholson, PA.

 

 

 


 
 
             A number of famous guests have stayed at the
Hotel including Henry Ford, Arthur Brisbane, Evangeline Booth and a number of State Governors.
             In 1943 the hotel was extensively remodeled with
bathrooms installed in nearly all the rooms. Please note as
you view the hotel that most of the woodwork, the staircase
and especially on the second and third stories that it was done
by hand as this was before power tools.

             The Prince Hotel has shown on record approximately
14 owners from it original Wall's Hotel to the present.

 
The present owners, Milton and Lois Van Horn, by constant improvement and effort hope to carry on the tradition
started over 149 years ago. Then, as now, the Prince Hotel has but one desire - to serve the community and its visitors - efficiently and well.
The wrought iron work on the upstairs porch was made locally. The late Thomas B. Wall purchased the Hotel from
Henry Stark about the time the "Great ' War" broke out (1860). He added the wing along Bridge Street nearly
doubling the capacity of the hotel in 1869. The picture in the main dining room, over the fireplace, shows the hotel as
it looked in 1869. In 1867, the owner, Thomas Bert from Overfield and Co. Meshoppen, PA. On June 17, 1867
Wall's Hotel could boast of gas lighting. The Hotel brick was painted a cream color in 1876. In 1888 Wall's Hotel
had the only fire escape in town. In 1869, Mr. T. H. Wall, who had for some years, experienced great inconvenience,
on account of the failure of the Water Company to supply his Hotel, has supplied himself from a most excellent spring
on his own premises. He brings the water in hollowed out logs, a distance about 3/4 of a mile, from his farm to the hotel.


 

 

 
 
Your Hosts from 1991 to present, Lois, Milton Van Horn