A sinkhole showed the remains of a former hotel that burned down over 100 years ago.
The hotel changed hands and had several names including the Commercial House, Hotel Russ and Park Hotel. The Verndale Historical Society shared a photo of Hotel Russ online.
Public Works Supervisor Matt Uselman also recovered a glass bottle from the sinkhole from that time period.
A sinkhole showed the remains of a former hotel that burned down over 100 years ago.
Sinkhole reveals remnants of Verndale's past
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by Trinity Gruenberg
A sinkhole appeared behind the public works building in Verndale that revealed remnants of Verndale’s history.
Public Works Supervisor Matt Uselman discovered the hole on Friday, March 29. The hole was dug out to find the cause of its creation. Uselman shared the three foot deep and four foot wide hole revealed the remains of a brick foundation under a layer of ash which was from a former hotel that burned down on that lot over 100 years ago.
“The snow melt and the rain dissolved the ash that is underground near the brick wall. There are no water or sewer pipes back there to create a wash out,” explained Uselman.
Uselman also discovered an intact wine bottle in the hole from that timeframe. He then filled the hole with sand.
In May of 1979, Charles W. Brown was one of the first to purchase land in Verndale. Brown sold some of his land to H. and C.M. Thompson . . . .