What happened in this building during the depression.Saying goodbye to summer by walking the grounds. This is the time of year that always makes me think about what went down here 90+ years ago.First photos here are of our old hotel building, built in 1925. Chicago architect Frank Schoenfeldt built it as a House Of Ill Repute. Hed just adopted 16yr old Swedish Anna Anderson, who would eventually became the proprietor. Scandal hit town when years later, Anna married (much younger) Gordon Peck much to the dismay of the prominent local family..The speakeasy here became known as Little Orphan Annies & ran under the floorboards for decades. In 42 Anna was sentenced to Taycheedah Womens prison- for selling illegal booze, running a gambling establishment, & for operating A Bawdy House Of Ill Fame.She had a good run- The local law turned a blind eye for decades on what Anna did here.A few locals revealed that more than a few city officials also happened to be patrons of Annies & explained that it was the wives of those local authorities who finally had enough &rallied to get Anna shut down.Anna was an immigrant under unusal pretenses.A criminal who served illegal booze.A scofflaw that provided gambling.A woman who enabled other desperate women during the depression a place to sell the only thing they must have felt they had left to offer.Anna was considered morally bankrupt.But she also considered herself part of the community nonetheless- at a time & place in America when she knew that nothing about her would ever be accepted.After serving 3yrs, she decided not hide from the small town society that she had served & that condemned her.She moved back to Elkhorn into a house off Main st, next to the courthouse- where she lived until June 30, 1980.Unlike many of the menfolk & authorities at that time, she had nothing left to hide.Every little town in America has its secrets.In Elkhorn, Anna knew every one of them- and took them to her grave.The rest of the story is in American Getaway- 100 years of Saints & Sinners at Camp Wandawega by @austinsailsbury (in the store)* we’re always looking for history on camp! DM us @katebe_