AhistoricalbuildinginDante isnowthesiteof abeautiful bed and breakfast. In July of 2023, John and Tracy Blaha opened the Blahagio Airbnb in the old Security State Bank building that was built in 1912. The bank had also been a grocery and candy store at one time in Dante. The Blaha family originally purchased the property in 2018. After purchasing, the priority was to have the building registered withtheNationalHistoricalRegistry. Ittookfiveyearsafter being granted permission to restore the building that the restoration was completed.

The Blaha’s tried to retain as much of the history of the building as they possibly could. From tin ceiling tiles to wooden doors if it was restorable and a part of the original building the Blaha’s brought back to life. If items could not be kept or restored, they were replaced with repurposed items from the same time period. They wanted to restore the building so that others could enjoy the space and reminisce of its past.

John and Tracy were both born and raised in the Dante/ Wagner area. As locals, they saw a need for a place for families to be able to stay when they came to visit the area because there are very few places to short-term rent without having to travel 50+ miles. The Blahagio features five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a full kitchen and living space. To find rental information on the Blahagio, visit their Facebook page or www.airbnb.com.

John and Tracy keep very busy besides operating the Blahagio. They farm together and have four sons Ethan, Logan, Carson and Owen.

Congratulations on your new business and thank you for restoring a beautiful piece of local history.