The Stoddard Hotel was built in 1903 by a group of local businessmen who felt that La Crosse really needed a center for conferences and business meetings. The Board of Trade (later the Chamber of Commerce) organized the building fund. Many residents subscribed and contributed money toward it.
The hotel served as the social center of La Crosse and many celebrities stayed overnight there. John Elliott owned it for many years, from 1927-1972. Heavily in debt, the hotel was razed in 1982.
