Olde Hotel Shoppe
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History of the Merchant Hotel!
Olde Hotel Shoppe

The "North side Hotel" was located on the
corner of Hewett and West 10th Streets in
Neillsville.

June 1882
The frame of Huntzicker's Hotel on the north
side has been raised. (The Huntzicker Hotel
was later moved south, across O'Neill
Creek and the name was changed to
Merchant's Hotel, still standing on the corner
of Hewett & Seventh Streets.)

August 1887
On a Sunday in August of 1887, it
was successfully moved south across the
O'Neill Creek. Many men joined efforts in the
move, as the creek water level was minimal
on that day, as they wanted the job
completed for fear of rain.

A series of large smooth logs were placed
across the creek bed. On top of the logs,
timbers and then layers of heavy-duty
wooden pallets were stacked up to reach the
level of the creek bank. The hotel building
joists setting on some large timbers, was
rolled on logs to the creek bank edge, then
on to the pallet structure. The hotel and
pallets, as a unit, were moved across the
creek bed by the large rolling logs
underneath. Teams of horses provided the
power in pulling the big unit across. During
the few days the hotel was moved from the
south creek bank on more logs up to the
corner and on to a foundation.

Not only did the hotel change locations, it
also had a name change. It was called the
Huntzicker Hotel and Merchants Hotel.
George Hutzicker (Huntzicker) was the
hotel's business proprietor at the new site.

The Merchants Hotel was sold in a "three-
corner trade." Previous owner Joe
Muckerheide traded the hotel to G. C.
Youmans for property at Randolf, and
Youmans traded the hotel to new owner Paul
Pernod. Pernod then rented the hotel to
Chas. Dugal of St. Paul, who was "an
experienced hotel man."

July 1918
Herman Wegner, the new owner of the
Merchants Hotel, has opened up the hotel
again after a few days general cleaning and
repairing. The Merchants Hotel will be run at
$2.50 per day, per room with single meals at
50 cents each.

Sometime later, an addition was built on the
west side which provided many more rooms.
The building still serves the community
providing space for the Family Eye Clinic,
Olde Hotel Antiques, and some apartments,
which is now owned by Bill & Virginia
Elmhorst.