The East Fork Hotel

The East Fork Hotel. . One of the original businesses in Gardnerville, the East Fork Hotel once stood proudly on Main Street at Gilman Ave. In 1892-93, Brothers George and Charles Brown built a 20' x 50' building with a saloon in front and a small residence in the back with rooms upstairs that rented for $1-1.50 per night. A fire in 1899 that started in the cellar did considerable structural damage and extensive repairs were needed but all 18 guests were able to escape unharmed. In 1903 the Browns sold the hotel to another pair of brothers, Charles and Henry Morrison. By 1909 it was known to offer "excellent hotel service at moderate rates and a bar stocked with the best liquor and cigars." Beginning in 1914 it would be leased to a series of Basque immigrants which ultimately led to Raymond and Gorgonia Borda purchasing the building in 1921. Unfortunately, prohibition had started the year before and the East Fork Hotel would be the scene of several raids by federal law enforcement. Mr. Borda was arrested 3 times in 1922-23 for violating prohibition and the barroom was actually closed down for 8 months under the abatement law. Future lessees would also find trouble for prohibition violations. In July 1926, John "Super Six" Larralde was leasing the property when he was arrested in a federal raid. He was sentenced to 12 months in the Washoe County jail. This would turn out to be the last raid on the establishment. Mr. and Mrs. Borda lived there until their deaths and the building would come to be alternatively known as the Borda Building. It was finally closed down after a fire on July 17, 1986 and it stood empty until it was torn down in 2014 due to safety concerns.