Photo credit: Circa 1890, Walnut Creek Historical Society

After two decades of ranching and farming, commerce came to Walnut Creek in the late 1800’s when the need for a downtown hotel drew William Rogers to the village. After a stint as a San Francisco police officer, he opened Rogers Hotel in 1879 on the corner of Main and Walker (now Duncan) streets. Equipped with a dining room, bar, dance hall and several sleeping rooms upstairs, the two-story hotel became a social stop for travelers on their way from Concord to Danville and Lafayette. Business was also brisk with visitors from San Francisco and Oakland, prompting Rogers to convert the dance hall into additional guest rooms. The hotel’s success also led to an array of entrepreneurs opening businesses downtown.

·         Source: Walnut Creek An Illustrated History by Brad Rovanpera