BLANCHARDVILLE - Some people are calling the Ryan Hotel the fifth fatality in a fire Dec. 21 that took the lives of four people and destroyed the historic landmark.
It has been a hard week for downtown Blanchardville, said Beverly Ryan, who was at the corner of Main Street and Elm to watch the clean-up of the Ryan Hotel demolition.
"It's kind of a relief, for me anyway," she said. "Every day was a constant reminder of what happened. We will never forget, but we can heal."
She was an emergency medical technician on the scene the morning of the fire.
The fire marshall deemed the structure was unsafe, and authorized the closure of Wisconsin 78, through the small Lafayette County village. Downtown businesses were allowed to be open, but only at their own risk, during the Christmas week.
On her way home from work on Tuesday, Ryan noticed the demolition had started.
"It was almost gone," she said.
There are mixed feelings in the community about the removal of the long-standing historical site.
For some, like Ryan and her husband, Larry, great-grandson of the hotel's original builder, Patrick Ryan Jr., the hotel holds many memories.
"He remembers going there as a boy. And I remember sitting in the booths," she said.
She also recalled the large open staircase and a marble floor.
The magnificence of the hotel had come a long way from its humble beginnings.
The lots were originally purchased by Judge Henry Mills in 1857. He built the original wooden structure which housed a saloon and hotel accommodations.
Garret Graham Jr. bought it in 1864 before selling it back to Mills.
In 1875, Mills sold half interest to his son-in-law, M.L. Gould. A year later, they sold it to Halvor Lund. John Brew took over in 1877, and Thomas Gavigan in 1892.
Patrick Ryan Sr. took possession in 1896.
He had the three-story, brick hotel built in 1902 to replaced the original wooden structure. Rock for the basement was hauled from a quarry on the north side of the river.
It changed hands among members of the Ryan family until 1964.
Sylvester "Twist" and Ella Ryan started its cafe, before passing it on to James and Arthur and Margaret, who all retired in 1947.
Kenneth and Eva Ryan ran it until four young men, Tom Cleary, Alvie Turner, Bernard McGowan and Herbert Bircher, formed a corporation and bought it in 1964.
Beverly Ryan said the property had about 10 owners since the Ryan family owned it.
The building was remodeled to house a tavern and restaurant, with living quarters created out of the guest rooms on the second floor. The third story was not remodeled and retained its original woodwork and floor.
Dennis Marty, Blanchardville village president, owned the bar for 15 years, calling it Black Oak Inn, before selling it in 1993.
Marty said the building had been bought and sold many times in the past five year.
Daniel Hardekopf and Jelayne (Jill) L. Hughes bought the building Sept. 3, 2008. They named the bar the Silver Dollar. They, along with Cody. D. Olson and Brian K. Monte, perished in the fire.
It has been a hard week for downtown Blanchardville, said Beverly Ryan, who was at the corner of Main Street and Elm to watch the clean-up of the Ryan Hotel demolition.
"It's kind of a relief, for me anyway," she said. "Every day was a constant reminder of what happened. We will never forget, but we can heal."
She was an emergency medical technician on the scene the morning of the fire.
The fire marshall deemed the structure was unsafe, and authorized the closure of Wisconsin 78, through the small Lafayette County village. Downtown businesses were allowed to be open, but only at their own risk, during the Christmas week.
On her way home from work on Tuesday, Ryan noticed the demolition had started.
"It was almost gone," she said.
There are mixed feelings in the community about the removal of the long-standing historical site.
For some, like Ryan and her husband, Larry, great-grandson of the hotel's original builder, Patrick Ryan Jr., the hotel holds many memories.
"He remembers going there as a boy. And I remember sitting in the booths," she said.
She also recalled the large open staircase and a marble floor.
The magnificence of the hotel had come a long way from its humble beginnings.
The lots were originally purchased by Judge Henry Mills in 1857. He built the original wooden structure which housed a saloon and hotel accommodations.
Garret Graham Jr. bought it in 1864 before selling it back to Mills.
In 1875, Mills sold half interest to his son-in-law, M.L. Gould. A year later, they sold it to Halvor Lund. John Brew took over in 1877, and Thomas Gavigan in 1892.
Patrick Ryan Sr. took possession in 1896.
He had the three-story, brick hotel built in 1902 to replaced the original wooden structure. Rock for the basement was hauled from a quarry on the north side of the river.
It changed hands among members of the Ryan family until 1964.
Sylvester "Twist" and Ella Ryan started its cafe, before passing it on to James and Arthur and Margaret, who all retired in 1947.
Kenneth and Eva Ryan ran it until four young men, Tom Cleary, Alvie Turner, Bernard McGowan and Herbert Bircher, formed a corporation and bought it in 1964.
Beverly Ryan said the property had about 10 owners since the Ryan family owned it.
The building was remodeled to house a tavern and restaurant, with living quarters created out of the guest rooms on the second floor. The third story was not remodeled and retained its original woodwork and floor.
Dennis Marty, Blanchardville village president, owned the bar for 15 years, calling it Black Oak Inn, before selling it in 1993.
Marty said the building had been bought and sold many times in the past five year.
Daniel Hardekopf and Jelayne (Jill) L. Hughes bought the building Sept. 3, 2008. They named the bar the Silver Dollar. They, along with Cody. D. Olson and Brian K. Monte, perished in the fire.