Friday, October 20, 2017

Pair of motel postcards
(from Ohio and South Dakota)

One of these days, when I'm swimming in free time (hahahahahahaha), I need to create a directory post of all the motels and hotels that have been featured on Papergreat. If I had been smart, I would have included that as a blog-post label from Day One, but since I cannot travel back in time to give instructions to my 2010 self, I'll just have to do the busy work here in the present day.

Anyway, here are two more motel postcards, from back in the days when cars were as big as boats...


MOTEL RENO
Marietta, Ohio
4 miles east on U.S. 50 and State Route 7. 16 attractively furnished units, all air conditioned, TV available. Showers, Simmons furniture, Beautyrest mattresses, cross-ventilation. Thermostatically controlled vented heat, radios.
Phone FR 4-6876, Marietta Ohio

Publisher: "Published by Jack Lowe, Color Photographer, Marietta, Ohio."

Research tidbit: A Google search lists this location as "permanently" closed, although someone named Miriam did give it a four-star review just three years ago. Also, Miriam might be a bot.


A Friendship Inn
IMPERIAL 400 MOTEL
Roman's Ron de Vu Restaurant & Lounge
125 Main Street, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
Convenient location in Downtown Rapid City. Featuring: Heated Pool, Color TV, Direct Dial Phones, 24-Hour Switchboard, Family Units, Suites Available. Convention & Banquet Rooms (seating to 500). Tours Arranged. Airport Limousine Service.

New York Times tidbit (from April 15, 1973): "On Feb. 9, however, the Indian militants emerged from the Imperial 400 motel, where they had been running up enormous bills, and went into some of the Main Street bars and hassled some of the cowboys." [This is from an article about the aftermath of the 1972 Black Hills flood and local Indians who were justifiably "resentful at their treatment after the flood and with the deeper hurts of years of deception, treachery and genocide by the Federal Government."]

As an aside: "Roman's Ron de Vu Restaurant & Lounge" has to rank as one of the greatest business names ever.

Final note: Neither postcard was ever used, so I don't have anything fun to add about addresses or postmarks or short notes.

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