The following story has been submitted by the Logan County History Center:
By: Mary E. Mortimer
For nearly a century, a distinguished three‑story hotel stood at the corner of South Detroit Street and West Columbus Avenue in Bellefontaine. Built by Judge Thomas Miltenberger and originally named The Miltenberger House, the hotel opened for business on May 1, 1876.
In 1889, The Bellefontaine Republican described the hotel as conveniently located in the heart of the business district, near the Post Office, telegraph, and express offices. The Miltenberger House featured fifty‑four rooms, parlors, a large dining room, sample rooms, a billiard parlor, rooms for bathing, and a six‑foot circular aquarium. The hotel also housed early medical services. An 1880 advertisement in the Logan County Index promoted Drs. Becker and Hoffman’s “Electro‑Therapeutic Bath,” which offered patients a “tonic–vitalizing effect” without electrical shock.
In 1894, manager James S. Boyd announced The Miltenberger House had been renamed the Hotel Ingalls in honor of Melville E. Ingalls, President of the Big Four Railway. A 1901 Weekly Index article noted the hotel’s reputation among traveling men for “three good meals and a bed like I get at home.”
Following Boyd’s retirement in 1916, new owners John Alexander and brothers Franz and Elden Reid announced major renovations, including hot and cold running water in every room, private baths, electric lights, updated décor, telephones, and brass beds. Room rates were $2.00 to $2.50 per day.
Throughout the mid‑20th century, the hotel experienced several management changes and updates. In the 1930s, it briefly featured an indoor golf driving and putting area operated by Clifford Good, Golf Pro of the Bellefontaine Country Club. In 1945, a concrete side‑entrance porch and new windows were added under managers Wallace E. and Pauline Greene. The restaurant became well‑known locally, especially during the tenure of Al and Elsie Lahman in the late 1940s and 1950s.
In 1955, Marilyn and Allen LeMasters operated the hotel coffee shop and “Marilyn’s Fine Foods,” in the dining room. They were open from 7:00 a.m. to midnight and offered steaks, chops, chicken, lobster tails, and other seafood.
Archie and Winifred Ellis purchased the hotel in 1955 and welcomed both long‑term and transient guests. Mrs. Ellis later recalled the peak railroad years, when late‑night crew arrivals required improvised accommodation, including screened hall beds and mattresses placed on the floor for $2.00 per night.
A notable incident occurred in August 1966 when a sonic boom from supersonic aircraft shattered a large plate‑glass lobby window during Operation Readiness Inspection by the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Lockbourne Air Force Base.
After Mr. Ellis’s passing in 1970, the hotel housed twenty‑six permanent residents but saw overnight guests declining. Financial challenges had already forced the closure of the restaurant and bar.
In July 1971, Mrs. Ellis sold the Hotel Ingalls to Bellefontaine Federal Savings and Loan, located across the street. She assisted in relocating the remaining residents before the new owners demolished the hotel to create a parking lot, bringing an end to a landmark that had served the community for nearly 100 years.
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.
