History of the Hotel LaBonte

The Hotel LaBonte was built in 1913 to replace the Valley House Hotel that was torn down due to the construction of the Burlington Railroad. A group of Douglas business men formed the Douglas Hotel Company to finance the construction. The name "LaBonte" was chosen due to its meaning of bountiful and also in honor of Pierre LaBonte, who was supposedly Converse County's first resident.

On January 26, 1914 H.O. "Burt" Emery opened the Hotel LaBonte for business. With furniture from the Denver Dry Goods Company, billard tables and bar from the Brunswick-Balke company the hotel was considered first class. (The original back bar can now be seen at the Wyoming Pioneer Museum, located a few blocks from the Hotel). The Hotel originally featured 54 guest rooms on the upper floors and a kitchen and dining room in the east wing of the ground floor and a barber shop and billiards hall/bar in the west wing.

In 1967 the third floor was converted to apartments, while the second floor was remodeled to have bathrooms in each room. The bar was also moved from the west to the east wing at this time. The owners at this time, Harry and Rachel Johnston coined the classic slogan "Tell'm... I'll meetcha at the LaBonte." In 1982 a fire damaged the hotel, but it was repaired and updated with modern conveniences. In 1984 the dance hall/events room was added in what had previously been the courtyard.

In 2009, Jacqueline Pollock and Denny Harts purchased the Hotel LaBonte. After purchasing the LaBonte, Ms. Pollock found that her family's connection to the LaBonte stretched back to its beginning. A ledger found in the office safe shows that Mrs. Geo. N. Pollock, her great-grandmother, sold some turkeys and chickens to the Hotel LaBonte in 1914. Ms. Pollock and Mr. Harts are reinvigorating the LaBonte, making it once again a place for people to meet up in Douglas.