Sprucing up the hotel
The story of the 1901 remodel by local carpenter Henry Madaus.
One of the challenges presented by very old buildings is figuring out just who did what to them, and when, not to mention why and how. This article presents some of my research into the history of the hotel; hopefully it will illustrate how clues are used to put together a story, too.
This picture, taken from the 1953 Centennial book, shows a view down Main Street looking east. It is captioned as having been taken in 1902. I don’t think this is correct.
Why? Well, in a news article I found at the library in Winamac, dated December 6, 1900, we learn that “Weishaar’s new building is complete. They moved in on November 20.” That building (originally Weishaar’s Bakery) is now the funeral home just west of the hotel, and was probably best known as Jimmy Ahler’s IGA. Since the building isn’t showing in the picture, it must have been taken before 1900.
Fred and Augusta Weishaar are buried in the Medaryville Cemetary.
The old photo also provides a bit of corroboration on another point: the original double-hung sash along the west wall of the hotel had been replaced by larger plate-glass windows sometime in the early 1900s. In the (pre-1900) picture, the orignal windows are clearly visible.
Other news clippings intrigue: A piece in the paper from September 19, 1901 states that “Henry Madaus is fixing up the old soldier’s home.” Another (which I’ve lost track of) mentioned his installing “plate glass ‘picture’ windows.” A few months later, an article reports that ”. . the teachers had dinner at the New Hotel.” I believe all these pieces refer to the Evert House, and that it is likely that the porch was rebuilt on the south side of the building at that time, too. In the 1900 census there is a listing of men’s names all together, listed as “boarders,” in a building on Main Street.
As ever, further research will hopefully reveal more of the story.
Posted by Brian Capouch on Monday, November 20, 2006