Wisconsin House

The Wisconsin House was built by Henderson and Bell in 1843 for use as a hotel. Celestin Kaltenbach moved up from Van Buren and became the first landlord of the hotel. The basement was used as a kitchen, be it remembered that the street was not then filled as it is now, and the creek that yet flows was below the basement. At the time of the big flood of June 1852, the basement was filled with water. An immense hole in front of the hotel caused by the flood required tons of rock and dirt to fill.

The first floor of the building was used as office and dining rooms, and the second story for bed rooms. The partitions of the second story were partly made to fold and in case of a private dance the furniture was removed, the partitions folded back, then a fine hall, the length of the building was in view, and many early social dances was indulged in by the young as well as the older people of the long ago days. In the early fifties the building ceased to be a hotel. The first story rooms were converted into store rooms, and the second story into apartment rooms.

Robert Templeton opened up a general store in the south part of the building, and Dr. Ben Armstrong a drug store in the north part. Dr. Armstrong and family lived in rooms in the second story, where he died in 1855. Armstrong was succeeded in the drug store business by a man by the name of Bristol, and he by Richard Armstrong. The north end of the building was for many years used for drug stores conducted by different parties.

Thomas R. Seaton was for a time proprietor of the drug store and when appointed Deputy United States Revenue Collector for this district, he held his office in connection with the store. Mr. Seaton subsequently removed to Boscobel, and after many years in business there he returned to Potosi and again took charge of the drug store, succeeding his brother-in-law, Elias S. Rockwell.

The south part of the building was occupied principally by general stores. Robert Templeton was the first man open a store in this end of the noted building. Then Templeton and R. H. Visscher formed a partnership and continued the business until they sold out to Isaac P. Large. Large eloped with a pretty Potosi French girl, leaving a wife and family behind. Others who conducted stores in this end were E. M. Hoyt & Co., H. P. and N. Bell, James W. Seaton, Henry W. Wright, William Patton, and possible others.

McKey Bros. of Janesville, who ran a chain of dry goods stores in Wisconsin, temporarily occupied the store room whenever it happened to be vacant, which was frequent. The second story was converted into apartment rooms. The last occupants of the first story were J. A. Seaton & Co., drugs, etc., in the west part, and the post office in the second part.

The historical old building after standing 75 years, went down in the fire of June, 1918. Two modern one-story buildings have since been erected on the lot, one by J. A. Seaton, the other by Joseph P. Ott.