07/16/2025
Check out this cool bit of history presented by Main Street Gas City, Indiana!
The Avalon Hotel: A Landmark of Gas City’s Golden Era, 1892-1996 (pictured here in 1902)
Originally opened in 1892 as the Mississinewa Hotel during the height of Indiana’s natural gas boom, this iconic building later became widely known as the Avalon Hotel—a name that still stirs fond memories for many longtime Gas City residents.
Construction began in May 1892, and by early 1893, the hotel welcomed its first guests. Built by the Gas City Land Company at a cost of $40,000, the structure stood as a testament to the area's rapid growth and ambition. Made of locally sourced stone and brick, the hotel boasted 30 residential units and six commercial storefronts on its ground level.
In the booming 1890s, Gas City was growing fast. City planners envisioned a thriving metropolis of 25,000 people, and the Mississinewa Hotel represented that bold dream. Businesses flooded in to support the swelling population drawn by work opportunities in nearby factories.
In 1900, the Indiana Brewing Company purchased the property and renamed it the Avalon Hotel. Over the years, the building housed an eclectic mix of businesses—from a sanitarium to a cafeteria so popular it attracted diners from neighboring Marion. The first tenant was the L.C. Frank Funeral Home, which continues today as Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral Home, now located at Fourth and Main Streets.
As natural gas supplies dwindled around 1904, factories began closing and people left in search of new opportunities. By the 1940s and 1950s, the Avalon had become a working-class family hotel. The apartments were modest—most had no kitchens, and restroom facilities were shared between two units.
Despite the changes, the Avalon Hotel remained a cherished part of the community. Residents fondly recall the bustling commercial spaces on the lower level. Over the decades, small businesses thrived, and locals still remember some fondly. In 1922, The Palm Café offered a porterhouse steak dinner for just 50 cents. From 1942 to 1975, the Avalon Cafeteria served up classic meals—like the popular business lunch of mashed potatoes, gravy, and a roll for just 25 cents.
Other memorable businesses included Casey Jones Grocery (which closed in the 1960s), Harold Swarts Jewelry, where students bought class rings and couples selected engagement sets, and Metcalf’s Newsstand, a 1950s-60s hotspot where teen girls found movie magazines filled with celebrity gossip, while boys sought out the latest comic books.
Among those who lived at the Avalon was Eugene Linn, future longtime mayor of Gas City. He was born on the third floor in 1934 and spent the first five years of his life there.
After standing proudly at the corner of Third and Main Streets for 104 years, the Avalon met its end. Damage from an electrical fire in 1997, along with the soaring cost of maintaining the aging structure, led to its demolition in 1998.
Today, a Circle K convenience store stands on the site where the grand hotel once stood. Though the building is gone, the Avalon Hotel’s legacy remains firmly rooted in the heart of Gas City history—a symbol of its ambition, its people, and its golden past.
We would like to give sincere thanks to the Gas City Museum and Historical Society for the source of the many photos, articles and a wealth of information that has made this public project possible.
Wed love to hear about it! Share your memories about the Avalon in the comments!
HISTORIC SIDEWALK TOUR! Take a walk down Main Street and see this window cling in the window at Webb’s Furniture Gas City. There are 19 historical subjects in the windows of businesses on Main Street.
You can also visit our website and read all about it ➡️ https://www.mainstreetgascity.com/historical-walk-tour
