 Gold Country |  Malakoff Home |
The I.O.O.F. Hall was built for the “Widow Balzar” back in 1859. Originally a three-story
structure, the widow operated a hotel on the first two levels, while a dance hall occupied the
top floor. The “Balzar House” was never much of a success, and in 1870 she sold the building to
Joseph Whiteside, who turned the building into an opera house. Whiteside met with about the same
measure of success as the widow Balzar, and eventually sold the building to the Odd Fellows in
the late 1880’s. They dedicated the building as their meeting place in April of 1889 and removed
the top floor the following year.
Gold Country | Malakoff Home |