The European Hotel had its grand opening ball on Dec. 21, 1880. Durango’s first newspaper reported that all the “elite” of Durango attended. Unfortunately for the European’s builders, in their rush to set up business in the new town of Durango, they built their hotel on the right-of-way (today’s West Ninth Street near the present day railroad tracks) of the yet-to-arrive Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. This business and a couple others were forced to move, and the owners chose to move the hotel rather than demolish it. It was moved in three sections, with the final section moved on Dec. 9, 1881. It was placed on the northeast corner of Main Avenue and 11th Street, where today the parking lot of Durango Craft Spirits is. With new ownership, it became the Sherman House Hotel and was advertised as the only “European” hotel in Durango. It burned in the great downtown fire of 1889. <br><br>Ed Horvat for AnimasMuseum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org