(courtesy
of Amador County Museum Archives) | Bellotti Inn
The Bellotti Inn, whose first two stories were formerly known as Nixon's
Hotel, The American Exchange Hotel, and The American House, dates from
1867. There has been a hotel on this site since 1853, when Dwight
Crandall and his partner Jonathan Jones bought two lots and put up their
American House. Besides providing shelter, the building was home to a
stage stop, express office, bar, restaurant, and post office. In 1856,
Crandall sold the lot north of the hotel to John Keyes and a man named
Clute, who put up a brick building in 1858. This brick structure
survived the fire of 1865, alas, the hotel did not. On May 5 of 1866,
Dr. Fifield bought the hotel's lot for $200. He then commenced building
a new, two-story brick hotel, which he named the American Exchange
Hotel. Sometime during the 1890's, the Keys and Clute brick building
became an annex to the hotel. The third story was added in 1896. |