Millmore Hotel is one of the lesser known historic hotels of Sitka, Alaska. This was the hotel that was ran by a former Navy steward and cook. This news article will explain and divulge into the history of Millmore Hotel.
William “Billy” Millmore was a former Navy steward who owned and operated the Millmore Hotel. He was the owner of Sitka’s Millmore Hotel. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6735274/daily-sitka-sentinel/)
The log cabin which served as Millmore Hotel predates the 1880s. The log cabin was sold in 1867 by the Russian American Company to Matrona Nedonalvin for the price of $1 dollar. At the time of the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States in 1867, the log cabin which served as Millmore Hotel in Sitka was a residence owned by Matrona Nedonalvin. The building was certified by Prince Maksoutoff to be the property of William Ivanoff, a Russian subject. Ivanoff and his wife Catherine sold it the following year to Ilarian J. Archimandritoff for $1,000 dollars. The Ivanoffs were among the 300 Russians who returned to their homeland. Lady Jane Franklin, Sophia Cracroft and their two servants lived in the log cabin during their Sitka visit in May and June, 1870, when the occupant was out of town. Later the log cabin was owned by Lazar Caplan and Mary Caplan who sold to Patrick Corcoran in 1875, who used it for a store and dwelling. (Ref: https://sitkaartblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/building-43/)
William “Billy” Millmore purchased a parcel of land from Patrick Corcoran in November 1885. On this parcel of land was a Russian era log building on the site of the present American Legion building on Lincoln Street. In December 1885, Millmore got a discharge from the Navy and announced that he would open a hotel. He first called this hotel the Baranoff Hotel and later it became the Millmore Hotel, a name it carried for some 50 years. Millmore Hotel was first called the Baranoff Hotel. The Baranoff Hotel later became the Millmore Hotel, which carried the name for 50 some years. In February 1886, Millmore leased the hotel to O.P. Baker, who was said to have been an experienced hotel man and who had recently, arrived from Chicago with his family. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6735201/daily-sitka-sentinel/)
[A man named William Millmore and commonly known as Billy seems to have been the first to prospect, or at least the first to locate claims on the back side of the mountain. Millmore would seem an unlikely candidate to become a prospector. He was born in England, was 23 years old when he arrived in Sitka, arid had spent most of his life at sea not as a sailor but as a cook and steward. He once said that he had been around the world eight times before he reached Sitka. But apparently nobody, was immune to the bite of the gold bug and Millmore soon had the fever. When Lt. Cmdr. Henry E. Nichols arrived in Sitka in September 1884 to take command of the USS PINTA he brought with" him his favorite wardroom steward, Billy Millmore. That did not draw much attention in town until November 1885, when Millmore purchased from Patrick Corcoran a Russian era log building on the site of the present American Legion building on Lincoln Street. In December 1885 Millmore got a discharge from the Navy and announced that he would open a hotel. He first called it the Baranoff Hotel and later it became the Millmore Hotel, a name it carried for some 50 years.]
The log cabin owned by Patrick Corcoran was later combined and operated as the Millmore Hotel in 1885 and in 1886. (Ref: https://sitkahistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Log-Cabin.pdf+&cd=68&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d)
William “Billy” Millmore wanted to try his luck at mining. In 1886, he acquired four loade claims near the head of the east fork of Indian River. Millmore Hotel was located near the east fork of Indian River. He built a hydropower plant powered by a Pelton water well. This Pelton water well was connected to a hydropower plant which provided drinking water for Millmore Hotel. In December of 1897, Billy bought two Pelton wheels, dual two-stamp Hendy mills, a complete sawmill, and tons of tools and supplies. Unfortunately he never made much from his mining endeavors, but today, Billy Basin, located about three miles northeast of Sitka National Historical Park, continues to bear the name of Billy Millmore, the man who hoped to strike it rich. (Ref: https://sitkahistory.com/2017/04/billy-basin/)
A building was built opposite of the Millmore Hotel facing Lincoln Street by Phil Weittenhiller sometime during the 1890s. A porch was added. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27969108/daily-sitka-sentinel/)
“The Guertin Building next to the Lutheran Church lot on Lincoln Street is nearly completed. The store space has large show windows and Frank Guertin expects to open his store in the new building by sometime in February. Another Lincoln Street improvement has been made by Phil Weittenhiller who has added a porch to his building opposite the Millmore Hotel.”
Phillip S. Wittenheiler leased the Millmore Hotel for a time and made some improvements to Millmore Hotel in 1891. (Ref: https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/nhl/russian-america/sec3.htm)
William “Billy” Millmore had continued to make improvements to Millmore Hotel over the years, including the installation of what was said to have been the first porcelain bathtub in Sitka. An event in August 1899 was a birthday party for Harris, held in the Lady Franklin Room of the hotel. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6735274/daily-sitka-sentinel/)
By September of 1899, William Millmore was a “professional smuggler” who was smuggling liquor into Alaska. His wife had been running Millmore Hotel. He had been supplying saloons in Sitka with liquor. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=nfT9MGYCRs8C&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46)
A.H. Solberg began operating Millmore Hotel in 1909 with his wife. A.H. Solberg and his wife leased the Millmore Hotel from 1909 to 1911. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24538761/)
William Millmore sold the hotel property to Oscar Holm and Sam Sing in 1911. Sam Sing sold the narrow strip of land that is now Del Sol store to the Rands family, who built that narrow, deep building. (Ref: https://sitkaartblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/building-43/)
Sam Sing bought the Millmore Hotel from Oscar Holm in 1911. Sam Sing sold his property on Lincoln Street in March 1931. However Sam left for the south and never returned to Sitka. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/12982680/)
Millmore Hotel was the only hotel in Sitka prior to 1917. Visitors traveling through Sitka found lodging very difficult to find as this town boasted only the Millmore Hotel. This town boasted only the Millmore Hotel and Bayview Hotel in 1918. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/sitka-daily-sentinel-aug-25-2017-p-6/)
[For many years, visitors to Sitka found lodging very difficult to find as this town boasted only the Millmore Hotel. It was small and lacked many conveniences of modern hotels of the day. The addition of the Bayview Hotel was considered a real savior to this town but it did not take long for it to fall into the same disrepair as the Millmore. It was small but very modern when compared with the Millmore. In its day, the Millmore was a very attractive building. It became very popular as a rooming and boarding house and was always packed with working men. The hotel was not built in Sitka. It was a part of the Treadwell Mine in Douglas and was declared surplus by the mine owners shortly after the cave-in of Treadwell in 1917. Abner Murray purchased the building and barged it to Sitka, in three parts. In order to transport the building, Mr. Murray cut the building into three sections. The new owner also purchased two other buildings from the closed Treadwell: a fair sized structure which was renamed “The Erler,” and an apartment complex located on Seward and American Streets. The latter belongs to Thad Poulson and the former no longer exists. Its location was about 100 feet from the Bayview. In time, the hotel fell into disrepair and was taken over by Reginald Burke. The structure had been remodeled and rebuilt a number of times. Nothing remains of the original structure.]
A fire destroyed the historic log hotel which once served as Millmore Hotel on November 23, 1942. Dorothy Buckner was fatally burned in the hotel fire and George Moore died. Almost nothing was left of Millmore Hotel after the fire. Millmore Hotel was operating as Sitka Inn then. As the remaining Sitka old timers can remember. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16772537/1942-11-23-idahofallsid-tpst-rgstr-p7/)
The Millmore Hotel burned, but the back section of the building survived. Sometime later back section of the building was acquired by the American Legion Post. The logs walls were destined to be smashed and taken to the dump, but Thad Poulson got permission from the Legion post to salvage what he could, including one intact corner, for the purpose of historical research and public display. That building corner has been sitting outside, under tarps, since then, and other parts are in a sea van. (Ref: https://sitkaartblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/building-43/)
As of today, Millmore Hotel is now occupied by the American Legion Post. American Legion Post continues to own and operate a post on this property and location. The building has been furnished with new wood. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/sitka-daily-sentinel-aug-04-2017-p-6/)
“Most restaurants in Sitka were considered the “working man’s restaurant.” The exceptions were the Arcade and Sam Sing eateries. The Sing establishment was located in the Milmore Hotel at a site now occupied by the American Legion. Oldtimers talked about the outstanding menu that featured a wide variety of Chinese dishes described as “Out of this world.” Mr. Sing was an outstanding chef and was the grandfather of the late Isabella Sing Brady. The Arcade was located directly across the street. It could be classified as a first-class restaurant with the traditional menu. It was famous for its neat appearance and was popular because it was family oriented. It was greatly helped by a place that provided good food.”
Millmore Hotel was located at 36 Lincoln Avenue, Sitka, Alaska, US 99835.
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