There's no real pattern or plan behind the acquisition of these cards, unless you count cheapness.

Seriously, I focus on linen finish postcards of non-chain, mom-'n-pop motels. I grew up in the era when car travel was common, the Interstates were not quite finished, and the big chains didn't reach along the routes to our destinations.

Early on, our family relied on the Mobil Travel Guide paperbacks. I thought at the time they were using the stars as their guide, but now I think it was the nightly rates.

For a bit of historical perspective, here's your nutshell version of motel history. (The Woods do it better within their Motel Americana site, but there you go.) After the motor car became readily available, auto tourism took off, generating two spin-offs: the free road map and the tourist court.
Driving was not easy on the first highways. Travelers were reluctant to spend the night in hotels. Furthermore, hotels were not always convenient to the motorist. Historically they served train passengers.

The first solution was the informal tourist camp, which has evolved into the modern campground. Its first successor was the semi-permanent tent camp, suitable only in temperate weather.

Next came the tourist cabin, with quality ranging from slightly beyond the tent camp to something that might even include a garage, like the Coral Court Motel near St. Louis.

These motor courts were inefficient to manage and a target for vice squads.

Building size increased, and multiple units were added as often as the individual owner was able to afford the upgrade. Therefore, individual motels have a character unseen in today's chains.

Illustrations from 1941 United Tourist Courts Eastern Division brochure.

Single occupancy tourist cabin court	Single occupancy tourist cabin court with garage
Straight-line multiple units	U-shaped auto court
Wig-wam single unit variant	Mixed units - Hotel and auto court

   Flat Finish

Falls View Hotel and Cabins
Niagara Falls, Ontario
2434 Stanley Street.
Artwork by H.W. Soper of Windsor, Ontario.
Published by F.H. Leslie, Ltd.: Niagara Falls, ON.

At first glance, this card looks really old, especially comparing it with the later image above (Mixed hotel and auto court). There's the traditional bird's eye view with loci identified, and directions printed on the street. It's a work of art that rivals pre-WW I German lithographed cards.

The cars, dating from the late 1930s, are the tip-off.

Falls View Hotel and Cabins Niagara Falls, Ontario 2434 Stanley Street.	Ranch Motel Vinita, OK Hwys. 66-67-60-2.	Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts Various Southern locations. Mailed 1941	El Rancho Motel Williston, ND U.S. 2 & 85

My favorite cards are linen-finish, a style most popular from the late 1920s to the mid-1950s. These cards are frequently associated with Chicago's Curt Teich and Milwaukee's E.C. Kropp.

	McRorie's Tourist Hotel Jacksonville, FL 20 East 9th St.	The Oaks Tourist Court Atlanta, GA 1650 Stewart Ave. S.W.	Huskey's Motor Court 2-1/2 Miles from Knoxville, TN State Highway 71 and U.S. 441.
Brown's Tourist Camp Griffin, GA U.S. 19 & 41.	Webb's Motor Court Chattanooga, TN Hwy. 41-64 & 72.	Y-Tel Auto Court Blackfoot, ID Yellowstone & Atomic Highways.	Delta Cabins Georgetown, SC U.S. 17.
White Owl Tourist Camp Antigo, WI U.S. 45 & STH 47.	Springfield Motel Springfield, IL Postmarked 1951.	Fleck's Motel Springfield, IL On Lincoln's Trail 1 mi. W on IL-97 & 125.	Miller's Courts Fredricksburg, TX U.S. 290.
Kennedy Cabins Rochester, MN U.S. 14 & 52.	Stamm's Hotel Court Hopkinsville, KY U.S. 41.	Colonial Tourist Court Little Rock, AR Highways 67-70.	Palmer's Motel Wakefield, NH Route 16.
Lodge Motel Chittenango, NY State 5 & 13.	Skyway Motel N of Ft. Pierce, FL U.S. 1.	English Village Motor Lodge Wichita, KS U.S. 54.	Shamrock Court Sullivan, MO U.S. 66. Dated 1943, never sent.
Scott Shady Court Winnemucca, NV 2 bk. off U.S. 40 & 95.	Colonial Village Motel Salt Lake City, UT 1530 S. Main. Card dated 1946.	Motel Bon-ette Statesboro, GA U.S. 301 - 25.	Mirror Tourist Court Savannah, GA
Shorewood Lodge and Cottages Ephraim, WI Hwy. 42.	Koronado Kourt Joplin, MO	Rock Village Court Springfield, MO SW corner U.S.65 & 66.	Rock Village Court Springfield, MO U.S. 66 & 166 at U.S.65.
Bower's Riverside Cottages 1 mi. S of Front Royal, VA State Route 12.	Roebuck Motels Birmingham, AL Various addresses.	West-Way Lodge Rawlins, WY Lincoln Hi-way #30. Postmarked 1952.	Curve Court Rocky Ford, CO U.S. 50.
Trav-L-Odge Rolla, MO U.S. 66.	Harper's Motel Eureka Springs, AR U.S. 62.	Grand View Lodge Colorado Springs, CO W. Colorado Ave.	Perry Court Perry, GA GA-7 & U.S. 341.
Chichester's Riverside Cabins & Cottages Spooner, WI Hwy. 53 - 63. Sent 1949.	Millstream Cabins Fall Creek, WI U.S. 12.	Millstream Motel Fallcreek, WI U.S. 12. Postmarked 1953. Successor to Millstream Cabins?	Albrecht's Motel Eau Claire, WI U.S. 12-53 & STH 93.
Middleton, a western suburb of Madison, had a thriving 'motel row' before the beltline was built to reroute State Trunk Highway 13, U.S. 12, 18, and part of U.S. 151. Wisconsin STH 13 became U.S. 14 in several places. All 4 highways were again rerouted onto the 'new beltline' in the 1980s. Orphaned motels on the original beltline in Monona, Madison, and Middleton began to die off, a process which evolved slowly, punctuated by bad UW football seasons. Today neither location of the featured motels lies on a highway.		The Cabin Court Middleton, WI Apartment building as of 1994.	Simon's Tourist Court Middleton, WI U.S. 12 & 13
Jack Tar Court Hotel Hot Springs National Park U.S. 70 and Arkansas 7.		Green Acres Motor Court Jacksonville, FL U.S. 1. Exact South City Limits Amoco gas station	White brick colonial cottages Private baths, Hot water, Steam heat, Inner spring mattresses, Grill
Maple Lodge Wahoo, Nebr. U.S. 77; 2 bk. S of U.S.30A and 92. Sent 1952.	Ten Sleep Inn Ten Sleep, WY U.S. 16 and Atlantic-Yellowstone-Pacific Highway.	Yording's Tourist Court Jacksonville, IL U.S. 36-54 & IL 104.	Flamingo Motor Court Mitchell, SD U.S. 16 & 37.
Town & Country Motel Tucson, AZ Route 84.	Blue & White Tourist Court Milwaukee, WI U.S. 41 N of U.S. 16 (now decommissioned).	Derris House Motel Townsend, TN Hwy. 73.	Parkview Motel Cambridge, OH U.S. 40.
Trocadero Motel & Restaurant 3 mi. W of Knoxville, TN U.S. 25W.	West Pine Motel Walla Walla, WA Hwy. 410 W.	Blue & White Motel Baraboo, WI 821 Walnut Street.	El Vado Court Albuquerque, NM U.S. 66. (now decommissioned).

The El Vado was apparently still in business in 1999, according to the MO Route 66 Association's website. There are many great 66 postcards and pictures to be found. Another great site for Route 66 postcards, especially motels, is SteveRider.com.

Rest Haven Motel Nashville, TN Postmarked 1954.	Lake Breeze Tourist Court Erie, PA Rte. 5 - 3504 W. Lake Rd.
Hadley's Terrace Motel Neosho, MO MO-71 & U.S. 60	Travelers Hotel Court Maryville, TN U.S. 411-129.	Motel Du Quoin Du Quoin, IL U.S. 51.	Mayview Motel 3 mi. S of Camden, SC U.S. 1.
El Rancho Dodgeville, WI U.S. 18-151.	Midtown Motel Jackson, TN 2 bk. W of Square.	Starlite Motel New Stanton, PA U.S. 119.	Shamrock Plaza Courts Cumberland, IN U.S. 40. Dated 1950, never sent.
Nob Hill Motel Lawrenceville, IL 1 mi. E on U.S. 50.	Lakeview Motel Cedar Grove, WI U.S. 141.	Highley Motel Salt Lick, KY Dated 1964, never sent.	Lowry Motel Pittsfield, IL U.S. 36 & 54.
Lady Lafayette Hotel and Tourist Cottages Walterboro, SC	Hagerstown Motel Hagerstown, MD U.S. 11.	Roanoker Motor Lodge Roanoke, VA U.S. 11 & 220.
Covey's New America Motor Lodge and Coffee Shop Salt Lake City, UT Main St. at 5th So. Older card (L) sent 1947.
		Both cards: Curteich-Chicago 'C.T. Art-Colortone' with a small inset map on reverse detailing directions to the LDS (Mormon) temple. Older card: 185 rooms, 250 capacity coffee shop. Newer card: 225 rooms, 350 capacity coffee shop. So, do the 40 new rooms contain 2.5 people each?
			Drive along to newer motels

The House of Art has an excellent site featuring linen finish cards, primarily those from the southern states and Texas. If you want more linen and less chrome, go visit Snazzy Jazzy Postcards.

© 2003-2006 Judy Aulik
Uploaded 15 November 2003
Updated 29 May 2006.
All scans property of the copyright holder and may not be reproduced, nor targeted by deep-linking without my permission.