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Guide to the Stoddard Hotel Remodeling Materials, 1918-1931
MSS 131
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Abstract
- Photocopied materials include personal correspondence between Virginia Baker, daughter of Stoddard Hotel owner Calvin Baker, and her future husband, John A. Elliott. The bulk of the materials (all photocopied) relate to the 1929-1931 remodeling of the Stoddard Hotel. The modernization effort included new plumbing fixtures, interior decoration and furniture for the guest rooms which had the flavor of the Art Moderne style. An issue of The Wisconsin Restaurateur from October 1935 includes an article written by Louise Giancola titled "Keeping Up with the Times" on the $50,000 remodeling efforts of John Elliott.
- Collection Title
- Stoddard Hotel Remodeling Materials,
- Date of Materials [bulk]
- Bulk, 1929-1931
- Date of Materials [inclusive]
- 1918-1935
- Creator
- Elliott, John A., 1900-1994
- Creator
- Virginia, (Baker) Elliott, 1903-1951
- Call Number
- MSS 131
- Amount
- 0.2 cubic feet
- Physical Description
- 1 archives box
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- La Crosse Public Library Archives
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Stoddard Hotel Remodeling Materials, MSS 131, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI
Historical Note
The Stoddard Hotel was built in 1903 by a group of local businessmen who felt that La Crosse needed a center for conferences and business meetings. The Board of Trade (later the Chamber of Commerce) organized the building fund. Many residents subscribed and contributed money toward it.
The hotel served as the social center of La Crosse and many celebrities stayed overnight there. John A. Elliott owned it for many years, from 1927-1972, taking over from his father-in-law Calvin Baker. Heavily in debt, the landmark hotel was razed in 1982.
Scope and Contents
Photocopied materials include personal correspondence between Virginia Baker, daughter of Stoddard Hotel owner Calvin Baker, and her future husband, John A. Elliott.
The bulk of the materials (all photocopied) relate to the 1929-1931 remodeling of the Stoddard Hotel, the premier hotel and conference center of the day. Materials include blueprints and specifications by La Crosse architects Parkinson and Dockendorff, general contractor notes and subcontractor's invoices. The general contractor was Peter Nelson and the plumbing contractor was Niebuhr Company. The modernization effort included new plumbing fixtures, interior decoration and furniture for the guest rooms which had the flavor of the Art Moderne style.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
La Crosse Public Library Archives 2014 October
800 Main St.La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org
Acquisitions Information
(Accession no. 2011.036) Materials loaned for photocopying by Debbie Servais, March 2011 (Accession no. 2016.146) Original issue of The Wisconsin Restaurateur from Octoberr 1935 was donated by Richard Granum, October 2016
Processing Information
Processed by Anita Taylor Doering, October 2014
Existence and Location of Originals note
The La Crosse Public Library does not own the original materials for any copies found in this collection; all originals are held by Debbie Servais.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Stoddard Hotel (La Crosse, Wis.).
Genre(s)
- Architectural drawings (visual works)
Personal Name(s)
- Servais, Debbie
Subject(s)
- Architecture--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Historic buildings--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Hotels--Wisconsin--La Crosse
Collection Inventory
Personal correspondence |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Written to VIrginia (Baker) Elliott, 1918-1924 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Written to John A. Elliott, n. d.-1935 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
|
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Stoddard Hotel Materials |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Ephemera |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Remodeling |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Architectural plans and specifications, n. d. |
1 | 4 | ||
|
General contractor and subcontractor proposals, invoices and contracts, 1930-1931 |
1 | 5 | ||
|
Plumbing contractor and plumbing fixtures invoices, 1929-1931 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
Furnishing and fixutures, 1930-1931 |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Tile and floor coverings, 1929-1931 |
1 | 8 | ||
|
The Wisconsin Restaurateur magazine, 1936 October |
1 | 9 | ||
|
|
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