See Also:  Valley Hotel - Washington Hotel

Farmers Exchange Hotel, located on the east side of L Street between 1st and Railroad, just south of the SP railroad depot (Where KFC is now). The closest hotel to the railroad Depot, the Farmers Exchange Hotel was illustrated in the Atlas of Alameda County. The hotel was renamed Travelers Hotel In the 1920s.  It later served as the Greyhound bus depot.

In 1957 Arnold Lutz signed a lease agreement with the building's owner, Adele Kruger, and the name was changed to Lutz Hotel and Cafe.
The city, in attempt to reduce the possibility of fire hazards, required the building to be modernized in 1958. Knob-and-tube wiring was replaced with shielded cables and conduits. Unsafe banisters were replaced with walls. But, regardless of all the improvements, the upstairs rooms were never provided with heat. Prior to 1958, chain toilets were still in use. The most expensive room, double beds with a shower, was $2.75 per night. The least, a single bed with no sink, $1.75.

The hotel was demolished in 1969 due to fire safety.  This was the reason from many of the old hotels being torn down.

Drawing of the Farmers Exchange Hotel from the Thompson and West Alameda County Atlas, 1878.  "Property of Meritz Hupers, Livermore, Alameda Co. Cal."  L Street is in front of the hotel.  Along the left is part of a wide area that at times had side tracks off the main SP railroad line.  The main line would be more to the left (north).

Photo taken from the west side of L, where Groth Brothers is now.  It is not known who is standing against the flagpole on top of the building, or why they are there.

Yes, this is the same building, now a Greyhound bus station and hotel.  Presumably stuccoed, with other architectural as well as functional changes.  See the Independence Hall photos for a similar transformation. The building in this form can be seen in several aerial photos.

In the above photo, there is no hotel name on the building that I can see.  A spur track from the railroad can be seen crossing the road on the near side, and going to the north of the building.
 

The Farmer's Exchange Hotel location today (March 2003)

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