Rediscovering home: Superior's connection to Gideon Bibles
A historical photo of the Superior Hotel.
Superior is certainly a central character in the drama that led to the first among literally billions of Gideon Bibles found in hotels and other establishments throughout the world. But my hometown is only one of the characters in this drama, according to the files of the Mineral County Museum and Historical Society and an article by Gideon Kevin R. McIntosh.
Traveling across the bridge to “Old Town” Superior (or at least what I call it), one will find a plaque on what is now a laundry mat that proclaims that the first Gideon Bibles were placed at this spot where the Superior Hotel once stood. That was 1908.
A fire destroyed the hotel in 1940. The fire threatened the surrounding businesses, including Castles market, the predecessor of Darlow’s at its original location on the north side of the river, and Wally Schneider’s service station. The Mineral Independent reported that William Castle’s store was saved by its “iron roof . . . though it was covered by sparks.” Despite no wind, sparks went as far as up the hill to Hanson’s garage just beyond where Hilltop Lodging is today.
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