Column: Historic Sunoco Service Station once site of Ehrhart Hotel

This photo, taken in 1990 by Jim McFarlan, shows the former Sunoco service station once owned by Lee and Donna Butler. The station was located at the corner of North Main Street and West Spring Street. The building still stands today but is vacant.

Before the service station occupied the site, it was the location of the Ehrhart Hotel. On April 11, 1901, the Cadiz Republican reported, “The Ehrhart Hotel is having an addition made. The splendid success of the Ehrhart Hotel shows that a hotel which is strictly first class can be maintained in Cadiz without the aid of a bar.”

The Ehrhart Hotel also operated a taxi service by carriage between Cadiz and Franklin College in New Athens. In its basement was one of the early schools for Black students in the area, where W.H. Lucas served as teacher.