Skip to main content

Route 66 Wednesdays; Wigwam Village Motel #6; Holbrook, AZ

By
Ever sleep in a Wigwam? To my knowledge, none of us at Gribblenation have......yet. However, Holbrook, Arizona is one of a few places in the United States where you can.

The Wigwam Motel - Holbrook, Arizona (Adam Prince - April 2010).

Holbrook is home to the Wigwam Motel - one of three remaining unique Native American-themed motor courts in the country. The tipi-inspired rooms were part of a small national chain of motor courts that opened in the 1930s and 40s.  

The first two Wigwam Motels operated near Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Both opened in the late 1930s. During the 1940s, Wigwam Motels headed south into Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. By the late 1940s, two more locations opened - Holbrook, Arizona and San Bernandino, California.

The Holbrook Wigwam Motel advertises the novelty of sleeping in a "Wigwam". (Adam Prince - April 2010).

The novelty of "Eat and Sleep in a Wigwam" attracted numerous travelers to lodge overnight while visiting or driving through the area. 

The simple tipi-inspired design guest room. Holbrook's rooms are a throwback to an earlier time - modern amenities like internet access are non-existent. (Adam Prince - April 2010)

Individual guest cabins were designed by Frank Redford. He patented the design in 1936 and again in 1957. Most complexes were home to around 15 structures - each made of steel, concrete, and stucco. Some locations had a small filling station, restaurant, and pool.

Opened in 1950, the Holbrook location was owned and operated by Chester Lewis. After a visit to Redford's Cave City, Kentucky location in the 1930s, Lewis would later purchase the design plans and the right to use the Wigwam Village name. In a unique royalty agreement, Lewis agreed to send the proceeds from the dime-operated room radios to Redford. A dime allowed guests to listen to 30 minutes of the radio.

Classic cars are on permanent display at the Holbrook Wigwam Motel. (Tom Fearer - 2011)

In the late 70s, Interstate 40 was built and bypassed Holbrook to the North. As a result of a downturn in business, Lewis sold the property. The motor court closed, but the gas station operation remained. A few years later, in the mid-80s, Lewis' descendants repurchased the property. They closed the gas station, converted part of the main office into a museum, and reopened the motel.

Outside the Wigwam Motel is a collection of classic cars mixed in with the signature tipi guest rooms. Overnight reservations can still be made for this piece of American automobile nostalgia.

Adam Prince - April 2010.

Today, three Wigwam Motels remain - Cave City, Kentucky, Holbrook, and San Bernandino. All three are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 


Site Navigation:

  • Original publish date - August 15, 2018
  • Article rewritten by and included photos from Adam Prince - December 24, 2022
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more