In 1892, Joseph P. Beeler he had a 24×50 wooden building built on the corner of Main and Bonner streets. Known as Beeler Hall, many dances, plays and movies were held in the structure. He opened rooms for rent and renamed it the Kootenai Hotel (site of Rusty Moose). Joe purchased the International Hotel (site of Larson’s), in 1900, with plans to move that building for an addition to the Kootenai Hotel. He died before he got the building moved.
Joe died in 1901. His wife, Bridget, then owned and operated both the Kootenai and International hotels on their original sites. Instead of moving the International over, she had a large addition built onto the Kootenai Hotel in 1905. She sold it in 1907 to SuKee, the Chinaman who owned the Crystal Laundry. With that money, she had an addition built onto the International and continued to operate it until selling it in 1915.
This Week in History – 100 Years Ago (1923) –
“The Kootenai Hotel building, one of the oldest landmarks of Bonners Ferry was destroyed by fire early Friday morning, the property damage amounting to over $8,000. Myers & Strom, owners of the Club Cigar Store, sustained a loss of approximately $7,000, partially covered by insurance. The Kootenai Hotel building was a two story structure and was built in 1892.”
Myers & Strom built a brick building on the site the following year (1924).