Charles Liston, the town constable, was behind the bar of the Collier Hotel (now the Riverside Hotel) when rowdy drifter Lupton Frantz came in looking for Mr Collier. Constable Liston thought he was reaching for a gun, so he shot him. The severely injured Frantz was taken to Dr. Mason’s office and then put on the train to Dr. Whites office in Confluence, where the Dr. said, “Lup, you are going to die. This wound is fatal and operation or not you had better prepare for the end.” A year after the shooting Charles Liston hung himself out of remorse for shooting Frantz.
Local legend says that the long abandoned hotel harbored blood stained walls and ghostly spirits. Kids frightened by their parents stories were afraid to peek inside the spooky abandoned building and would run by on their way to church.
Records mentioning the Riverside Hotel first appear in 1890, although based on features and add-ons, the 2003 renovators of the hotel, Michael Palencar and Agnes Lichtner, estimated it was built in the 1860-70’s. (Obstacles were overcome during the restoration including the resident haunting spirits and the hotel finally returned to its former glory.)
The Knights of Pythias fraternal organization and secret society built the building that is now the Water Street Cafe in the late 1800’s and used it as their meeting place for many years. The ideals of loyalty, honor, and friendship are at the center of the orders philosophy and are inspired by the Greek legend of Damon and Pythias. The Friendsville High School Boys Basketball Team used the open-space upstairs as a practice gym in the early 1900’s. Water Street was the first area to develop in the early to mid 1800’s.
The below article is about the fate of Quinter Hook the driver in the photo.
The Methodist Church in Friendsville 1895.
