July 29 Monday - From J.B. Pond's diary: We have been in Crookston, Minn., all day, where we were the first and especially favored guests of this fine new hotel. "Mark Twain's" name was the first on the register. We are enjoying it. "Mark" is as gay as a lark, but he remained in bed until time to go to the Opera House. This city is wonderfully improved since I was
here in 1883 with Mr. Beecher, in 1885 with Clara Louise Kellogg, and in 1887 with Charles Dickens, Jr. The opening of this hotel is a great event. People are filling up the town from all directions to see and hear "Mark," and taking advantage of the occasion to see the first new hotel (The Crookston) in their city with hot and cold water, electric lights and all modern improvements [Eccentricities of Genius 207-8].

Special trains were run for this performance and some of the sleeping cars were left on the sidings to save passengers the cost of a hotel. (Cooper p 33).

Crookston was a small town of 3,992 persons. A horse and wagon picked up the garbage, and twice a week a team pulling a wooden tank of water on wheels flushed down the unpaved streets. The volunteer fire department kept there ladders chained and padlocked to a large tree in front of the Merchant's National Bank, so that the firemen would not have to hunt up the house painter during a fire call. (Cooper p 34.)