The Sargent House Hotel (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1905. Built in 1900 and burned in 1906. Sargent Family Photo
Located on the corner of Mill & Beech Streets. The man on the far left of this photo is Len Sargent Sr. The Sargent Hotel (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1910. Photo from the research project "Memories of Forest County".
Built in 1907 and burned in 1911. Corner of Mill & Beech Streets.The Sargent Hotel (Up-Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1909. Built in 1907 and burned in 1911. Located on the corner of Mill & Beech Streets this hotel replaced the Sargent House Hotel that burned in 1906. Sturzl Family Photo
Remains of the Sargent House Hotel (Up-Town) after it burned in 1906.
Sturzl Family Photo
The Sargent Hotel Fire November 1911 - Laona, Wisconsin. Located on the corner of Mill & Beech Streets. Sturzl Family Photo
Laona Burns - Monday Morning Fire Destroys Large Modern Hotel
The Northern Wisconsin Advertiser - December 1, 1911 (Wabeno, Wisconsin)
The Sargent Hotel at Laona burned to the ground Monday morning. The fire started about six o’clock in the basement and the whole buildingwas a mass of flames in a few minutes. The fire department and citizens responded promptly to the call of fire, but it had gained such aheadway that nothing could be done to save the building and all efforts were directed towards getting the boarders out. There were forty or fiftyguests at the hotel at the time and a large number barely escaped with their lives. None of the guests were able to save their clothesor other effects.Miss James, one of the clerks at the Connor store, and Miss Ambrose, one of the high school teachers, both guests at the hotel, were forced to jump from a window on the second floor, but luckily were not seriously injured. A number of other guests were slightly injured.The Sargent House was a two story and basement frame building. It was equipped with steam heat and electric lights and was known as thelargest and most modern hotel this side of Green Bay. We understand the building was insured for $18000.00.Mr. Sargent suffered a severe fire loss five years ago, when a former hotel building was destroyed by fire. He immediately erected the buildingwhich was burned Monday on the same site at a cost of $27000.00. It was the only hotel at upper town. A number of the Connor companyemployees boarded at the hotel and some of them lost considerable money.The Hotel Gordon, Laona, Wisconsin Photo from the 1980 research project "Memories of Forest County".
Built circa 1912 on the corner of Mill and Linden Streets by the Connor Lumber & Land Company. Building was torn down in 1979.
The Hotel Gordon, Laona, Wisconsin. Listle Family Photo
Built circa 1912 on the corner of Mill and Linden Streets by the Connor Lumber & Land Company. Building was torn down in 1979.Connor Company Boarding House and Mill (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin. Stauber Family Photo
Connor Company Boarding House (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin 1910.
Wabeno Museum Photo
Connor Company Boarding House (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin 1909.
Irish Family Photo
The Hotel Zahringer in (Lower Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1915. Sturzl Family Photo
Hotel Zahringer built 1897 and a third story added in 1910. The attached Saloon was added in 1915 and the hotel burned in 1917. The hotel stood where the Albert Laurence home is located. The Hotel Zahringer (Lower Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1910. Irish Family Photo
Built 1897 and burned in 1917. Hotel was located on the south end of Linden Street .Connor Company Boarding House (Up Town) Laona, Wisconsin.
Sturzl Family Photo
Connor Company Boarding House (Up Town)
Laona, Wisconsin circa 1921. Stauber Family Photo
Residents of the Sargent House Hotel - Laona, Wisconsin 1905
The Wisconsin State Census - June 1, 1905 (Names listed as shown on census record)
Len Sargent age 45, Nellie Sargent age 43, Leonard F. Sargent age 19, Joseph Sargent age 17, Mable Sargent age 16, Mary Sargent age 12, Martha Sargent age 7, and George Sargent age 7/12. Lawrence W. Andrew age 31, Mike Biever age 19, Annie Bohman age 13, Henry Bouchard age 28, Silver Bradley age 31, Eugene Cantin age 30, Bernard Christenson age 19, Christ Christenson age 22, Rasmus Christenson age 22, Vernan Dewitt age 20, Frank Dewyerage 20, Charles Gilmer age 20, Walter S. Gorman age 21, Henry F. Guiley age 53, Bethie Hanson age 20, Alexander Harkins age 19,
William Helen age 22, Rosa Hoffman age 18, Emelia Hornick age 18, John Kemp age 60, Thomas Laggart age 27, Gilbert Lonstad age 20,Dsermis McCarthy age 37, Hans A. Moen age 28, Hans Nelson age 58, Edward Olgard age 32, Edward Olinger age 19, Lizzie Rake age 24,Joseph Ratty age 39, John Reetz age 39, William Ross age 32, Thomas W. Taylor age 27, Fred Webb age 37, Leonard Whiteford age 25, Charley Whitney age 20 and Gulie Woorum age 32. Residents of The Sargent Hotel - Laona, Wisconsin 1910
The United States Federal Census - 1910 (Names listed as shown on census record)
Len Sargent age 50, Nellie Sargent age 46, Joseph Sargent age 23, Mable Sargent age 20, Mary Sargent age 18, Martha Sargent age 12, George Sargent age 5, and Charlie Sargent age 4.George Augustein age 32, Frank Augustine age 21, Anna Barth age 23, Louise Bond age 22, Carl E. Carlson age 20, Ulga Domaras age 17, Will Domnick age 23, John Fasher age 50, Gilbert Fonstad age 26, Emma Fuher age 22, Fredda Kuester age 16, Charlie Krusdeckage 56, Beradine Kruspe age 21, George MacKelsen age 26, Fred Monefeg age 20, Rosa Norvak age 20, Charles Saunders age 45, Adelaid Sladdeck age 43, Robert Strutz age 21, Hugh Traynor age 38, William VanDerlesst age 29, and Anna Weber age 18, Residents of the Hotel Zahringer
Laona, Wisconsin 1905
The Wisconsin State Census - June 1, 1905
Matthew Zahringer age 28, Effie M. (Starks) Zahringer age 30, Myrtle Irish age 16, and Chester Irish age 14.Jay S. Ball age 24, Emil Brandt age 28, Charles Eggebrecht age 32, Elmer Keindienst age 20, Ezra M. Mullins age 26, Margaret Lighinerage 21, Ruth Lighiner age 6, William Lighiner age 38, William Lighiner age 2/12, William Perkie age 28, and John Powell age 35. Residents of the Hotel Zahringer - Laona, Wisconsin 1910
The United States Federal Census - 1910 (Names listed as shown on census record)
Matthew Zahringer age 33, Effie M. (Starks) Zahringer age 36, and Chester Irish age 18.Oscar Anderson age 25, Mary Betker age 18, Charlie Boye age 19, Edward Boye age 15, Frank Boye age 26, William Cadient age 20,August Krueger age 43, Albert Lawrence age 11, Edward Lawrence age 47, Emil Magnuson age 24, Griffin Milham age 22, Jake Ottingerage 41, James M. Pierce age 50, and Robert Wescott age 32. 
Hotel Gordon Kitchen circa 1960. Cox Family Photo
(L-R) Phyllis (Kimball) Cox, Agnes King and Noah Madenwalt.
Laona Hotels & Boarding Houses
Daily Northwestern - Oshkosh, Wisconsin June 26, 1920
View Hotel Guest Registrations
Zahringer Boarding House
The building on the left was built in 1902 and served
as the Riverside Hospital until the Elliott Hospital was
built. For a period of time Elihue and Mary "Mae"
(Starks) Snow operated it as a boarding house. It
was acquired circa 1917 by Effie (Starks-Irish)
Zahringer and was operated as the Zahringer
Boarding House until the early 1940s. The building
was owned by Chester Irish until 1964 when it was
demolished.
Photo circa 1914.
The following text is from an article that appeared in the Forest Republican that featured Republican candidates running for public office in Forest County. Len Sargent, owner of the Sargent House Hotel in Laona was a candidate for Sheriff.
Forest Republican, Thursday July 7, 1904
Len Sargent, candidate for sheriff, came to Laona when the place was first started, and proceeded to build a large hotel, which he has since run.
The hotel is an immense structure, being ninety feet in length by over forty feet wide, and practically a four story structure. On the basement
floor, are the bar-room and other large rooms, used for laundry and other purposes. The three upper floors are strictly for hotel use; the rooms
are all large, including sleeping rooms, an office, ladies parlor and dining room. Mr. Sargent has also built a neat barn for hotel use. He has just
put in an electrical lighting plant, the engine being a six horse power, which power is directed to other purposes about the hotel when not in use
for lighting. Mr. Sargent has served very acceptably on the Forest county board for some time prior to last spring, and those who have been
associated with him on the board speak of him in words of praise.
Boarding House owned by Effie (Starks-Irish) Zahringer locates in Lowertown Laona near the Rat River Bridge circa 1916. James Wall Photo
7. August P. Wall, 8. Evelyn M. Tomany, 9. Earl "Griff" Milham, 10. Myrtle G. (Irish-Tomany) Milham, 12. Effie M. (Starks-Irish) Zahringer
The Hotel Gordon, Laona, Wisconsin circa 1965 Photo:. Camp Five Museum Foundation
Built circa 1912 on the corner of Mill and Linden Streets by the Connor Lumber & Land Company. Building was torn down in 1979.
The Hotel Zahringer (Lower Town) Laona, Wisconsin circa 1915.
Sturzl Family Photo
