The Uplands Hotel in Eastman was owned originally by William E. Dodge and a group of investors. The hotel resided in the area behind the current location of the Citizens Bank, alongside the railroad tracks. The large front porch probably faced the railroad tracks on what is now Main Street, between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.

Large and quite old cedar trees in the area partially demarcate the borders of the hotel grounds. Tourists visited the hotel from all over the East Coast, many of them taking the "pine vapors" believed to provide healing properties. A walkway went from the depot directly to the hotel. The Lee-Land Hotel was later built near this site after the Uplands burned.

Question: Where does the name "Uplands Hotel" originate?

Answer: Supposedly, Mr. William E. Dodge, on his sole visit to the area, made a speech at the dedication of the new county courthouse that he donated to the county. In that speech, Dodge referred to this area as not hill country, not flat country, but as "uplands."