WAUPACA COUNTY POST

Date not noted.

 

HISTORIC INN HOTEL CHANGES HANDS A NUMBER OF TIMES

(This is another in a series of articles on Waupaca area history

written by the American History class

under Miss Sophelia Kurkowski at Waupaca High School)

 

THE INN HOTEL

By Arlen Neubauer

 

 

            In 1892 Mr. DeVoin completed one of the best hotel buildings in Waupaca.  The Hotel DeVoin, a large white building located on the corner of Union and Division streets, was equipped with all modern conveniences so the proprietor was very popular.

            Mr. DeVoin sold the hotel to Dr. Blessen in 1898 and a year later Mr. Gordenier purchased the hotel and in turn sold it to Clark Scoville.  A brick building at the corner was built on the south side of the building.  After this it was named the Inn Hotel.  The hotel was then owned by a number of people, although at one time Hans Knudsen owned it.

            In 1918, Marve Bellinger, a blind man, owned the hotel which was run under the American Plan.  That simply means that you paid for your meals whether or not you ate them there.  When Bellinger died, his wife and later her second husband took over the hotel.  At one time Mr. Bellinger owned the Delavan Hotel.

            On Jan. 6, 1919, the Inn Hotel was damaged by fire which started in the attic, near the chimney and spread quickly down through the third floor. The roof of the main building was entirely gone.  The Inn Hotel was rebuilt and reopened by the same managers.

            The Inn Hotel was closed for about four or five years, it was then owned by Jahe Hanson, who was about 90 years old.  He then sold it to a man who opened it as a second-hand furniture store.  It is now owned by Curtis Lien.