RetroGal Rambles- The Joplin Motel Scene
Where do you want to go in Joplin--or, rather, where DID you want to go in Joplin?
We all know Joplin has a rich mining legacy, amazing downtown history and buildings, and is mentioned in a famous song featuring Route 66.
What you may not know- and amazingly, few do- is how the flourishing east side of Joplin (a.k.a. Rangeline) came to be.
I’m gonna start with….*drumroll*...Rangeline before it was Rangeline. First of all, WHY did they call it Rangeline? Actually, I don’t know that specific tidbit. What I DO know is that at first it was Range Line Road, and it was pretty sparse. At the far north end there was a lovely little junior college and a few small businesses. But mainly it was comprised of residences. Essentially, there didn’t NEED to be more along this stretch of road, since folks were getting their kicks on Route 66.
Then, it happened- progress. A new roadway across America was about to change the face of American travel, and with it many a small town that depended on the “The Mother Road” would be bypassed forever. Route 66 became famous in 1946 with the iconic song sung by Nat King Cole. (Check out that classic song here: Route 66 ). The highway had its heyday for 60 years, but the late ‘50’s ushered in the new Interstate.
The history of the Interstate road Plan through the South end of Joplin.
Joplin: Where To Stay
Many towns and businesses along Route 66 folded with the declining traffic. Joplin, however, was perfectly located to thrive, being situated at the crossroads of two major traffic routes. The first person to seize the opportunity and take advantage of the growing traffic to the area was, of all people, Mickey Mantle. The motel was a Holiday Inn, and Joplin’s first franchise on south Rangeline. There were already a few motels scattered here and there- about 4 or 5, and mainly on the north end of Rangeline- so this was a big deal!
Mickey Mantle’s Holiday Inn
Look at all of this luxurious modernness!!!
Location: 2600 Rangeline
Now: Lowes
Once Mickey Mantle pitched in with his motel (see what I did there?), others followed, hoping that this new throughway would turn into a major league player in Joplin’s growth. (Yeah...I did it again.) And grow it did--from a sparse offering of places to stay in 1957 to over 16 motels and “motor courts” on Range Line Road by 1965!
Over the years some moved, some changed, and some just went out of business. The more Route 66 fell out of use, the more people were heading to Rangeline road from Hwy. 71, and its new “motel district.” By the mid 60’s, Mickey decided to leave this business and strike out on his own into other ventures (Last one, I promise.)
Bob Cummings Motor Hotel
In 1962, the next major name to try his luck on the new highway was TV star Bob Cummings, who had a motel called (no surprise), Bob Cummings Motor Hotel.
Matchbook cover featuring actor Bob Cummings
If the name of Bob Cummings isn't familiar to you, he was an actor and comedian in the 1930's, and continued his career clear into the 1970's (one of the many Lotharios of Love Boat). I personally am a fan of old movies and TV shows. Y'know, when comedy was clean, and families wore button up shirts, and the laughing came from an audience rather than a laugh track.
Most interestingly, he was a Joplin native. Didn't see that one coming, did you? Not only was he an actor, but he served an honorable career in the military and was a pilot, and incredibly, the FIRST certified flight instructor in the U.S.!
While attending Joplin High School, Cummings was taught to fly by his godfather, Orville Wright. During high school Cummings would give Joplin residents rides in his plane for $5 per person.
Since Robert was from Joplin, it seemed a natural choice to put his name on a motel and restaurant here....and the rest...is history.
The motor hotel boasted a 24 hour restaurant, pool, and two cocktail lounges….gee whiz! On opening night, three people were arrested after a poker game gone wrong turned into a brawl, a couple was arrested for “illicit cohabitation,” and another man was arrested for gambling. The fuzz was busy that evening for sure, and that was just opening night!
The motel had a good run, but it didn’t last long. Just four months after opening, the owner of the motel had their liquor license suspended. It was probably hard to run two cocktail lounges without liquor. Although this probably did help with the brawl situation, things were far from copacetic.
As if things weren’t bad enough, almost two years later during a powerful windstorm (as Missouri is prone to have) the cars in the parking lot were damaged from flying gravel and the lobby of the motel flooded. But wait--there’s more! What finally put the kibosh on this swell operation was some legal trouble pertaining to the lease of the motel being broken by its parent company, and its subsequent bankruptcy. Needless to say, the Bob Cummings Motor Hotel was soon a goner.
AAA Riviera Roadsite Motel
Not long after its closure, the Cummings’ motor hotel was turned into the AAA Riviera Roadsite Motel. It must have been pretty nifty, because it seemed to last awhile. While the Riviera’s exact closing date is uncertain, it was the last occupant of the building before it’s destruction in 2012. They must have retained a lot of the original feel of the building, based on this review written for Yelp right before it closed:
“ This place was so cool. It had a pool in the middle of the property . The building was mid century modern in the rooms were built in an L shape. Good thing I made it here when I did. The rooms were very large for a little motel and the bathroom huge with a walk in closet and sitting area. There were wooden beam vaulted ceilings.”
Location: 3333 Rangeline Road
Now: Sonic Drive-In
Rancho Motel
Look!! It’s NEW!!
Look!!! Now it’s not so new.
Location: 818 Rangeline Road
Now: Hardee’s
Colony Inn
Oh la la, come and bask in the sun next to our pool or have it made in the shade with our solitary three foot palm tree.
Location: 2300 Rangeline Road
Now: Great Plains Federal Credit Union
Howard Johnson’s
Opened in 1963, it had inside corridors. A “luxury” step up from the motor lodges where you parked outside your room. It had a durn good restaurant too!
Pictured is the location of the former Howard Johnson’s in Springfield, MO.
Very similar to how ours looked--especially the signature orange roof with the turquoise spire! Pure 60’s and 70’s here!
Location: 3500 Rangeline Road
Now: Days Inn by Wyndham
Ramada Inn
Location: 3320 Rangeline Road
Now: La Quinta Inn
The Sands Inn
You can tell they want to let you know--clearly--that they have a swimming pool...and, oh yeah a place to sleep too.
Location: 1611 Rangeline Road
Now: Jimmy’s Egg
The Thunderbird, 1975
Just look at this sign!! This sold a few years ago in an auction, so now somebody probably has this in their man-cave.
Here is an interesting bit of history, courtesy of Flickr, about the fate of the Thunderbird:
The last car thru takes one last drive out to the old Thunderbird Motel, Joplin Mo. In hopes of getting the one shot that many owners in the past of these great thunderbird cars have done before him.
On May 5, 2000 it was reported that the landmark motel would be demolished in the next few months to be replaced by a Home Depot.
Owners:
Patez family owned thru April 30th, 2000
Wise & husband Floyd children Jane & Maria- 1960 thru 1983
Fred Van Pelt- 1957-1960, Original Owner & sign designer
Fred Van Pelt built a number of Range line Motels in the 50's & 60's including the Riviera and the Rocket.
Sign makers; Told Brothers Sign Co.
An employee for this company & resident to the area Mr. Rice, was involved in the process of the making of the now historical sign. Rice was responsible for making the patterns for the entire sign.
Mr. Darch last owner of "the sign" rescued the sign in 2000. A few years later the sign would be sold in an auction and would again be saved!
Location: 2121 Rangeline Road
Now: Home Depot
The Tropicana Motel
The Tropics Lounge, originally called the Tropic Room, was built around 1959 or 1960. The adjacent Tropicana Motel was finished a year later. Luckily, the lounge portion was saved to be used in the new location at the Tropicana Lounge and Grill on main street in Joplin. Glad to see it was saved!
This classic bit of “tiki” Americana included on the original Tropicana Motel sign is fondly recalled here: http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=6669&forum=2
Location: 2415 Rangeline Road
Now: Golden Corral Restaurant
Here is a map of what the layout of Rangeline would have looked like at the time all of these fab motels were going strong. I imagine the “Rangeline Strip” gave Vegas a run for their money with all of the neon they had lighting up the sky!
In the next edition of RetroGal Rambles: Where to Eat!