Located at the junction of Highways 6 and 150, in Davenport, Iowa, the Tall Corn Motel opened for business in 1953. In November, 1954 the hotel was sold by Everett Herold to William Minnick of St. Joseph, Missouri who had previously run several motels in the West. Minnick would operate the motel for many years.
Easy to spot with its corn husk sign near the big water tower, the Tall Corn featured:
FREE COFFEE
86 Modern Units. Electric Kitchens. Air-conditioning, Television, Radio and Telephone, Wall-to-wall carpeting in each room. Cocktail Lounge, Swimming Pool, Children’s Playground. Close to restaurants, shopping centers,bowling alley, golf course.
The Tall Corn thrived throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In 1970, the motel was granted a cafe license. However, the economic struggles of the early 1970s led to hard times for the Tall Corn and by the early 1980s the motel was closed. The building is gone now, replaced by a bank.
How much would a room have cost in 1961?