Thank you to everyone for sharing your memories of this landmark in our community! An excerpt from the 1986 Centennial History of Continental, Ohio says this about the Hotel:
“In 1914, Bill Harris erected a fine building for the Continental area, designing it for combination occupancy by a hotel and a bank. The building was then and still is a handsome piece of construction. The bank occupied the southeast corner of the building. The hotel lounge and reception area occupied the northeast corner. A spacious restaurant occupied the entire back portion of the building. Twenty-four bedrooms filled the entire second floor.
In 1927, the Farmers State & Savings Bank merged with the Continental Bank, and Forrest Bidlack bought the hotel building in 1932. The U.S Congress soon thereafter repealed the 18th amendment, and Bidlack put a bar in the hotel.”
Through the years, this building has housed a dentist office, dress shop, shoe store, beauty shop, pizza shop, gun shop and of course, The Peg Leg Bar & Restaurant.
More information on all the buildings in town can be found in this “Centennial History of Continental” gem. Thank you Craig for starting this conversation!
Shawn Jones says
Where can we find a copy of the Centennial history?
Karen Donaldson says
I don’t know if the Putnam County Museum in Kalida has any for sale. We could put it out there on our Facebook to see if anyone has a copy they would like to sell.