City Hotel

City Hotel. 121 South Main. In 1838, McKendree Moore, with his father, Enoch Moore, owned a mercantile store here, which carried on until the death of McKendree Moore in 1840. The Moore family was one of Waterloo's first settlers. Enoch Moore, born in 1783 in the blockhouse at Bellefontaine, is believed to have been the first child born of American descent in this region of the country. John and Mary Harris sold the property in 1867 to John Lofinck, who established the Gast Haus Zum Golden Loewe (Golden Lion Guest House). John Lofinck then sold the property to Peter Bickelhaupt in 1871., Louis Bickelhaupt, Peter's son, and partner Fred Weisenbom took charge of the City Hotel in 1887. They operated a hotel, dining room and bar in such a manner that the old time "drummers" always made it a point to stop in Waterloo. He served meals which not only attracted the traveling public, but local guests as well. Rumor has it that the basement of the building was used to stow the travelers' horses. In 1920, Louis retired and sold his property to the Lofinck family. When the Lofincks business ended, it was sold to a group of men headed by George C. Ziebold, and the hotel was known as oil headquarters for a short lived oil boom., In 1925, the property was purchased by Charles Eppinger, a businessman and farmer from Valmeyer. Charles brought his family to Waterloo and they lived in the hotel. The vacant rooms were occupied by boarders. Downstairs was a restaurant and bar are where family members helped serve food and drink to patrons. The hotel's balcony was a popular vantage point for car shows, races, parades and Municipal Band concerts. During the Prohibition, years of 1920-193, the area was converted into a grocery store, with the family stocking products and filling orders of shoppers. Once Prohibition ended, it wasn't long before Eppinger brought the bar back., Lloyd Engelbrecht worked at the City Hotel and fondly recalls the Tuesday night special of turtle soup, cooked by his father, George Engelbrecht. It was a favorite of many to eat during the Municipal Band concerts. After the Eppinger family moved away, proprietors such as Emil Honnecker, Joseph Davies, Thomas Crois and Steve Burke owned the hotel., A Ben Franklin Five and Ten store occupied the first-floor space until the 1980's. The property was split into two sections, serving as both Sally's Hallmark and Heartland Travel. After Sally Smith retired, Vicki's Hallmark occupied both sides until 2010. Shortly after, Bountiful Blossoms, a floral and gift shop, operated here until moving into their new building on Mill Street. In 2018, the building was completely renovated. The second and third floors became apartments named "The Lofts at City Hotel," and the main level is now home to Shorty's Smokehouse. The owners included many original design features, including paint colors, the City Hotel signage and the front wood and glass doors. Inside the beams from another prominent business of historic Waterloo , Horn's Feed Mill., Researched by Gibault Students Ashley Grohmann, Abbie Meyer, Maddie O'Neill, Lauren Schmidt and Monica Shuler.