The History of The Commercial
The Commercial has been known by many names: the Humboldt Lodging House, the Commercial Hotel, the Commercial Casino, the Haunted Commercial Hotel, and the Commercial Fun Center. To generations of Elko residents, it has simply been known as The Commercial.
The site's story began in 1869 with the Humboldt Lodging House, a one-story wooden building with a false front and small porch. In 1893, J.B. Abel purchased the property and rebuilt it, creating the two-story brick core that remains at the center of the Commercial today.
Newton H. Crumley Sr. purchased the hotel in 1925. After Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, the Commercial became one of the state's early licensed gaming properties. In 1941, Newton Crumley Jr. began bringing nationally known entertainers to Elko, making the Commercial an early Nevada casino-entertainment pioneer.
The Commercial hosted some of the most recognizable entertainers of the era, including Ted Lewis, The Andrews Sisters, Sophie Tucker, Lawrence Welk, Chico Marx, Spike Jones, Xavier Cugat, Harry James Orchestra, and Burl Ives.
The shows attracted visitors from Boise, Salt Lake City, and communities throughout the region. For a time, Elko became an entertainment destination for hundreds of miles around.
In the late 1950s, Commercial owner Red Ellis acquired an enormous polar bear known as White King. The mounted bear reportedly weighs approximately 2,200 pounds and became one of Elko's most recognizable attractions.
White King has long been billed as one of the largest mounted polar bears on public display in the world.
Bing Crosby developed a close connection with Elko and became a frequent visitor to the area. He was named honorary mayor of Elko in 1948, and the Cross-B brand associated with his ranch can still be seen in the Commercial's Brand Room.
In 1992, the Commercial and White King entered gonzo literary history through Hunter S. Thompson's Rolling Stone story "Fear and Loathing in Elko," a surreal work of political satire that transformed the hotel into one of the strangest settings in Thompson's writing.
This story should be understood as gonzo satire, not factual reporting.
The Commercial's history includes documented tragedy, violent deaths connected with the property, and local accounts preserved through books, newspaper clippings, and interviews. Not every story occurred inside the current brick hotel. Some happened on the property before the present structure was built, while others involved people leaving or gathering at the Commercial.
The Commercial's most famous ghost story is the legend of Handsome Harry, sometimes called Handsome Henry. No surviving record has conclusively verified the story, so it should be understood as local folklore rather than a documented murder.
Local stories claim that a hidden speakeasy operated in the Commercial's basement during Prohibition. This is best treated as rumor or local story, not established fact.
Elko folklore tells of underground passages once used by Chinese and other Asian workers seeking safer routes. Stories connect some passages with the Commercial, but exact routes and purposes have not been conclusively established.
When the current team began exploring the building, they found a room that seemed different from those around it. Former employees became reluctant to discuss it. Today, the room is used as an escape room.
From the street, the Commercial appears to rise three full stories. Much of the apparent third floor is an architectural facade, although a small number of bare rooms exist behind it. The third floor was condemned in 1982 and remains permanently off-limits.
In 2023, the Commercial received national attention when Zak Bagans and the Ghost Adventures crew investigated the property for "Abandoned in Elko." The episode explored the hotel's history, longstanding ghost stories, and reported paranormal activity.
No television program, tour, or attraction can guarantee a paranormal experience. Whether the Commercial is truly haunted is something guests must decide for themselves.
The Commercial has been a lodging house, hotel, casino, entertainment destination, local landmark, haunted attraction, and family fun center. Its purpose has changed repeatedly, but the building continues to entertain Elko more than 150 years after its story began.
Historical details are summarized from local history provided by the Commercial team, public architectural history, court records, and official streaming listings for the Ghost Adventures episode "Abandoned in Elko."
SAH Archipedia: Commercial Hotel | Ghost Adventures: Abandoned in Elko | Elko Enterprises, Inc. v. Broyles