BUSINESS CHANGES

Over the past hundred years, there have been no fewer than twelve hotels in our town.-We have been successful, with the assistance of a short article by M. J. Carter, in identifying and locating these houses.

The first hotel was conducted by John Ossian Porter and was located in the Porter home (site of the Ed Linderbaum residence). The second was the Brooks stone house and hotel (present location of Walter Linderbaum residence). It later became a rooming house and was operated again as a hotel by Charles Green . The third hotel was the Ossian House built and operated by James Kennedy. It was destroyed by fire in 1888, rebuilt and managed by Richard Kennedy. It was located at the site of the Marie Lansing home. The Weiland House was operating by I867. Likely, it was located across from the Ossian elevator on the comer that later became the Rock Island depot.

The Shasta House, built by Henry White and managed by the Daniels brothers, was in operation by 1868. It was at the present site of the Richard Scheidel residence. The Hilton House managed by J. C. Jordon was also in business by this early date.

We believe it was located in the original Ossian, perhaps just west of the present home of Dr. Henry. Other hotelkeepers of the 1860s were Oscar Gruin, Jno Wyland and P. Wallace.

We think that Anton Cartner's saloon, the brick building constructed in 1869, was also used to keep boarders. It was enlarged and renovated for a hotel in 1886 by Rufus Ferris and Larkin Green. It was managed by Green in the latter part of the 19th century as the Commercial Hotel. By 1896, it became the Hall Hotel and was kept by Mr. Hall until 1908.

The National House, under the management of H. B. George, was enlarged and renovated in 1877. John Collins was the proprietor of this hotel for many years in the latter paid of the century. It later became the Banning Hotel and was located on the site of the Arthur Einck residence.

Shaffer's Hotel was south of the Milwaukee depot—presently the property of Cletus Uhlenhake. James Davison conducted a hotel on Main street in the early 1870s. Perhaps at the site of Horsfal Variety or Cut & Sew Fabric Shop.

The Gaust House was built by Theodore Wictor and operated by J. H. Keller and the Spillman family prior to becoming the Sobolik harness shop. Sobolik sold the building to the Wiltgens and it again became a hotel. J. B. Wiltgen replaced the old frame building with a modern brick structure in 1906. It was perhaps the most luxurious of Ossian's hotels.

According to Mr. Carter, the first bootlegger in Winneshiek county, a woman, was located just west of the Gaust House. Her house of business was an old photographic car—minus wheels--that rested north of the present Schroeder Tavern.

1943

Hog prices reached $15 a cwt. for the first time in over twenty years.

The Rev. Roman Schares, popular assistant priest at St. Francis Parish, was honored at several farewell parties. He has been assigned to St. Cecilia Parish at Ames.

Attorney W. M. Allen was appointed to the office of mayor, following the res