For years, before the St. Francis was shuttered, the Round Up Room, the hotel’s bar, was a popular gathering place. When St. Francis opened it was denied a liquor license to operate a bar.

In the spring of 1914, St. Francis Hotel opened. Gus Steinhauser was hired as the manager. He applied for a liquor license from the City of Susanville. It did not go well. At the City of Council meeting of April 28, 1914, it  was the first item on the agenda. Councilman Emerson made the motion to deny the license. Councilman Rankin seconded it and the application was denied.

The protest began. First was Isaac Knoch, followed by Steinhauser. Bot the gentleman stated a hotel bar was not your typical saloon. Steinhauser stated it would not pay him to open a dining room if he could not serve guests wines or liquors with the diner’s meals. It was an exercise in futility. At the conclusion, Councilman Rankin suggested to amend the liquor license ordinance to be limited to seven, and when those licenses lapsed, they could not be renewed. Eventually, the St. Francis prevailed and the liquor license issued.

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