Guide to the Stoddard Hotel (La Crosse, Wis.) Records

MSS 099

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Historical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Abstract

Stoddard Hotel operated as the most upscale hotel in La Crosse for nearly 80 years, but also served as a center for entertainment, weddings, conferences, meetings and the like. Records include guest registers (with the guest’s signature) from 1904-1927; 1929-1930; financial volumes, 1903-1939, and a scrapbook, 1932-1934 highlighting events which took place at the Stoddard Hotel.

Collection Title

Stoddard Hotel (La Crosse, Wis.). Records

Date of Materials

1903-1939

Creator

Stoddard Hotel (La Crosse, Wis.).

Call Number

MSS 099

Amount

9.5 cubic feet

Physical Description

3 record center cartons, 2 archives boxes, 4 flat boxes, 56 bound volumes

Language of Materials

English

Repository

La Crosse Public Library Archives

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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 Elliott owned it for many years, from 1927-1972. Heavily in debt, the hotel was razed in 1982.

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Scope and Contents

This collection includes records of the Stoddard Hotel from 1903 to 1939.

Guest registers (1904-1930) have recorded in the customer’s handwriting their name and residence. The hotel clerk has added in the time of arrival and departure.

These differ from guest journals which have no financial information and are generally broken down by the initial of the customer’s last name, therein chronologically. These record the customer’s name, file number, time of arrival and departure.

Other journals are financial in nature and include a cash book (1927-1939); account book of customers’ bills, 1904-?; a ledger by customer account, 1904-1911; a ledger not including customer accounts, 1914-1927; and payroll register, 1903-1905 (includes the Cameron House employees), 1917-1921, and 1925-1927.

Lastly a scrapbook from 1932-1934 highlights events that took place at the Stoddard Hotel during this time period.

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Arrangement

All records are in bound volumes. Most volumes consist of guest registers and guest journals, generally in chronological order.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

La Crosse Public Library Archives 2014 January

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

Acquisitions Information

(Accession nos. 2000.013, 2001.040) Guest register (1929-1930), scrapbook and financial journals except payroll donated by Ken Jenkerson, 2000 and Oct. 2001

(Accession no. 2005.044) Guest registers 1905-1927 and payroll records donated by the La Crosse County Historical Society, May 2005

(Accession no. 2013.048) Guest registers 1904 Jun-Sept; 1905 May-Oct; 1919 Oct-1920 Jan; 1921 Aug-1922 Jan donated by Susan E. Semb, June 2013

(Accession no. 2014.047) Guest register Sept. 29-Nov. 27, 1914 purchased on Ebay; the other volume Sept. 14-Nov. 11, 1920 was donated by Ebay seller Michael James Riddet, April 2014

Processing Information

Processed by Anita Taylor Doering, Jan. 2014

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• La Crosse County Historical Society (Wis.).
• Stoddard Hotel (La Crosse, Wis.).

Genre(s)

• Financial records

Personal Name(s)

• Jenkerson, Kenneth R., 1945-2002
• Reddit, Michael James
• Semb, Susan E. Joseph

Subject(s)

• Guest books--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• Historic buildings--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• Hotels--Wisconsin--La Crosse

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Collection Inventory