Joseph Alexander Kemp (1861-1930), a Wichita Falls merchant, and Morris Lasker (1840-1916), a native of Prussia who later served as state senator from Galveston, formed a partnership in 1892 to construct a hotel at this site. Built by Myles O'Reilly, the three-story St. James Hotel was completed one year later and became the center of area social events. Guests were attracted by the good food and by the music of a hotel orchestra. Business began to decline as new hotels opened in the area, and in 1929 the building was demolished.