Castle Kourts 2
Title
Castle Kourts 2
Title-Alternative
Motels 08
Identifier
JPL10_647_303_a_A
Creator
Unknown
Contributor
Simpson , Leslie . Post Memorial Art Reference Library
Publisher
Joplin Public Library
Description
From the back of the card : "We Stopped Here Last Night. " A-144 ; Castle Kourt. 35 cottages. Each with bath and Beauty Rest mattresses. Private garages. Phone 228. Joplin , Missouri. Motor/Tourist Courts of the 1930s through 1950sIn 1926 , the federal government began constructing a continuous paved highway that meandered across the country from Chicago to the Los Angeles basin. Paving of the Missouri stretch of this famous highway , Route 66 , was completed in 1932. It ran right through the heart of Joplin. At the beginning of the twentieth century , hotels were located downtown , and the railroad provided a steady stream of customers. As automobile ownership increased and more highways were built , motorists had difficulty finding convenient places to stay. As a result , a new hospitality industry arose to accommodate their needs. At first these automobile camps were merely a cluster of tents or rustic shacks positioned around a common bathroom area. But as the tourism industry evolved , the facilities (also known as tourist , cabin , or motor courts) offered well-built picturesque cottages surrounded by landscaped grounds where children and family pets could play. A 1933 AAA report touted the country's "30,000 tourist cottage and camp establishments , one of the few features of the American landscape that the depression is causing to grow by leaps and bounds. " Joplin's tourism industry bore out those statistics. The 1931 city directory listed five tourist camps ; six years later , that number had grown to eleven. Competition was keen among the popular cabin courts , and owners tried to attract guests with whimsical themes and fantasy architecture. The examples shown on these Joplin-area postcards range from Cape Cod cottages and rustic stone or log cabins to pseudo adobe haciendas. Amenities included bathrooms , heat , radios , inner-spring mattresses and even private garages. Sources:Joplin City Directories : 1950-1975 , 2003. "Motels and Hotels. " On website www.wisconsinhistory.org/archstories/motels (accessed 6/11/2004) "AAA History , 1950-1959. " On websitewww.csaa.com/global/articledetail/0,8055,1008000000%257C2689,00.html (accessed 7/14/2004)Website http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA02/amacker/roadscape/lodging/html (accessed 6/11/2004)
Subject
Castle Kourts (Joplin , Mo.) ; United States Highway 66 ; Motels--Missouri--Joplin ;
Language
English
Date-Creation
circa 1942
Date-Current
8/2/2004
Type
Postcards
Collection Name
Joplin Historical Postcards
Source
From the collection of Galen Augustus
Coverage
Missouri -- Jasper County -- Joplin ; Missouri -- Newton County -- Joplin ;
Rights Statement
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Contributing Institution
Joplin Public Library (Joplin, Mo)
County
Jasper County (Mo.) Newton County (Mo.)
Copy Request
Contact Joplin Public Library at 417-624-5465, or email jpl@joplinpubliclibrary.org
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