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Goetz, Jacob
| Last Name: | Goetz |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Jacob |
| Dates: |
*1853 (Date of Birth)
*1927 (Date of Death)
|
| Biography/History: | “Dutch Jake” Goetz followed the gold stampede to Idaho in 1883. With partner Harry Baer, he ran a Murray hotel and saloon called "Goetz and Baer," and grubstaked (financed) prospectors searching for a lucky strike. When Noah Kellogg located the vein of galena ore that became the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mines, Goetz and Baer gathered their profits and established a saloon and gambling house in Spokane Falls. Set back by the 1889 fire and economic panic of 1893, they finally opened the Coeur d’Alene Theater (later a hotel) at Front and Howard streets. The establishment provided Goetz’s “Four B’s” of western business – bed, board, booze, and betting. The business included a dance hall, shimmering chandeliers, and provocative female card dealers. Despite the nature of his business, Goetz was well respected in the community for his honesty and generosity. He was a charter member of the Elks Lodge and a life member in the Eagles Lodge. After Goetz's death in 1927 and the onset of the Depression, his partner Baer lost the hotel by foreclosure and became despondent. In 1932, Baer watched as a neighboring family was evicted from their home, then went upstairs and shot himself to death. |