Charles Frederick Whittlesey

Born in Alton, Illinois, Whittlesey was a draftsman for Louis Sullivan before opening his own Chicago practice.

In 1900, at the age of 33, Whittlesey was appointed Chief Architect for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway.

The hotel is one of only a handful of Harvey House facilities still in operation, and is an example of National Park Service Rustic architecture.

The razed Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico was also his design, with interior work done by Mary Colter.

His daughter, Enid Caroline Whittlesey (1895–1981), was murdered in Los Angeles; the cold case investigation was featured on the TV series Forensic Files (Season 7, episode 32).