200 Pearl Street Returns to Roots as a Hotel

(written by Megan, Archives staff)

In 1881, the La Crosse city directory listed 200 Pearl Street as the home of Jacob Shook who was also running a 'hotel' at his home called the Revere House.  The 1884 La Crosse city directory called it the Shook Hotel.  In that time frame, people running boarding houses out of their homes, and saying it was a hotel, was not uncommon.  The house did not last long at that location.

In 1886 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad built a passenger depot on that spot.  In 1929, the CB&Q built a new main depot on the north side of La Crosse and replaced the Pearl Street depot with a smaller, more modern depot.

People waiting to tour the new “Zepher” passenger train at 2^nd & Pearl Streets (looking SW), ca. 1930s

The newer downtown depot was last listed in the La Crosse city directory in 1941 as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line focused their efforts on their North La Crosse passenger depot.  The Pearl St. depot continued to be used as a freight depot for a while and was labeled as Express Freight in later city directories.  The freight depot services moved in the 1960’s and the old depot building was demolished in 1970.

Time passed but, over twenty years later, hotel plans were again made for the site.  The Holiday Inn would relocate and build a building downtown. 

The building site cleared

Under construction

The completed building was opened on May 27, 1998

For more information on the history of La Crosse come down to the La Crosse Public Library Archives.