Morehead History and Railroad Museum

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camps- Homelike Tourist Camp (later called Moore’s Village)

In November 1930, Millard Moore (1890-1972), his wife Louvenna Templeman Moore (1889-1968) and sister, Bertilee Moore opened Homelike Tourist Camp on US 60, two miles east of Morehead located just past Bramblewood Lane. Millard and his wife had three children – Hilda, Gladys and Wilber.

Moore had moved to Morehead in 1925, and purchased a Chevrolet dealership. He sold the dealership in 1929 and opened the tourist home. Homelike Tourist Home had the usual gas pumps and restaurant but also sold liquor when the county was wet, along with candy, ci**rs, to***co products, tires and oil. He also had state of the art, clean, modern, well-furnished cabins.

In January 1939, Moore’s beer license was revoked by the State Liquor Control Commission who charged him with violating four statues and was fined $300.

In 1941, he ran unsuccessfully for Sheriff. He was also an extensive landowner.

March 1950 he sold his property of a combined store and dwelling and two good building located 5 miles east on US 60 East. In April 1950, he sold a ten-room house and lot on Brahman Avenue. He also owned a bungalow in the Allie Young addition (??) west of the Midland Trail and a building on Railroad Street.

The tourist camp closed long before his death but he continued to have a thriving food store that sold groceries and soft drinks.
There was an allegedly bootlegging establishment in the back room. The store had been padlocked by police in 1961.The VFW close by had already been closed by police and both were owned by Moore. It is unclear whether Moore was involved with the bootlegging or just owned the building.

His brother Lora (1887-1932) had been arrested many times for bootlegging and was killed by his son Arthur over the operation of a moonshine still near their home on Christy Creek. Arthur pleaded self-defense and served two years in prison.

Moore’s Village was raided many times over the years and the store burned to the ground in January 1970 from a defective flue in a coal-heating stove.

Sources
Morehead News January 29, 1970, January 21, 1971, Lexington Herald September 25, 1932, December 15, 1961, Licking Valley Courier January 28, 1971, Rowan County News June 27, 1963,Winchester Sun September 17, 1932, Paducah Sun September 25, 1932, Big Sandy News September 30, 1932, Public Ledger October 12, 1932,Carter County Herald September 22, 1932, Scholarworks: Jack Ellis Files, Findagrave.com, Sue Hargett Gregory.

06/12/2026

Historical Photo Friday! The Morehead Tourist Camp! For more information on the hotel, see Preserving Your Heritage post from Wednesday on the Rowan County Public Library page Photos courtesy Ben Caldwell and Art Stewart.

06/10/2026

Historical Extras! Tourist Camps- Morehead Tourist Camp 1939-1965

Tourist camps were the forerunner of motels, offering the road-weary travelers privacy and a touch of comfort. Today, they're crumbling ruins of a vanished culture.

“Travelers are drawn to the restful cabins and home cooking of the Morehead Tourist Camp on this, its opening day. In a clean white building centered in front of the cabins is a restaurant. From there the fragrance of homemade pies -- especially pecan pie -- mingles with the smell of gasoline dispensed out front from two electric pumps crowned with glass orbs that light with a pleasing glow at twilight. The restaurant seats 46 at tables, booths, and a counter.
In the cabins, overnight guests test the beds and inspect the bathrooms.

Summer breezes whisper through the screen doors of each little house, freshening the bed linens and carrying the sounds of traffic from the two-lane transcontinental road. Children in high summer spirits romp and laugh on the grass in front of the cabins, for they know this is a place of fine adventure along the highway.

In the evolution of roadside accommodations, tourist cabins were a giant step up in luxury from early auto camps where travelers had to pitch their own tents or sleep under the stars. Cabins made year-round long-distance car travel feasible. People could travel light and in all kinds of weather. Cabins also provided privacy, and the more upscale operations like the Morehead Tourist Camp offered in-room bathing facilities and heat. The tourist cabin was the forerunner of today's motel.”

After James Arthur “Archie” Williams and May Waggoner got married in 1934, they opened a tourist camp on US 60 in Farmers. They had four little cabins with washbasins and outdoor toilets. The cabins were rented for fifty cents a night for salesmen and seventy five cents for tourists.

After 5 years, they sold it and purchased property on US 60 East for the Morehead Tourist Camp. They purchased the land that the Rodburn one room School sat on and opened their camp on July 1, 1939. They had a restaurant, which seated 46; electric gas pumps and twelve to twenty separate cabins. Each cabin contained a bathroom, potbellied stove with coal heat, (some had steam heat) bed and dresser, two chairs and a desk.

For many years, the Morehead Tourist Camp was about the only place to stay on U.S. 60 between Ashland and Lexington.
In 1941, they added a second floor for the family to live with consisted of Archie and May and their three children, Candy, Jim and Sharon.

Archie and May closed the business in 1965 due to the cabins needing too much repair and the new Interstate would not be coming near them. She tore down the cabins and later put in trailers. May went into the insurance business and devoted her life to the Democratic Party. May and Archie were personal friends with former Governor Happy Chandler and many politicians (local and national) would frequently stop by for her famous pecan pie!

More next week!

Sources
Morehead News August 31, 1990, Courier Journal October 29, 1989 “If Walls Could Talk”-Ben Caldwell, Scholarworks: Jack Ellis Files, Candi Williams Bonn.

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06/06/2026

Historical Photo Friday! The Shady Rest and Mayflower Tourist Camps. For more information on the hotel, see Preserving Your Heritage post from Wednesday on the Rowan County Public Library page

06/03/2026

Tomorrow!!! You don't want to miss this presentation!!! And there will be door prizes!!

06/03/2026

Historical Extras!! Tourist Camps

Tourist camps and courts were a common form of lodging for travelers in the United States from the 1930s to the 1960s. The terms “tourist camp” and “tourist court” were used to describe both an individual cabin and room rented for the night and the business as a whole. In their early days, they typically consisted of stand-alone structures that looked and functioned like small houses, with as few as four units to rent.

Tourist camps and courts evolved along roadways to accommodate the needs of the newly motoring public. In the 1920s, the average white, middle-class family likely owned a car, and recreational travel by automobile became increasingly common as Americans sought a nature break from crowded cities.

Beginning in the mid-1920s, thousands of small, private, locally owned tourist camps were being built across the country. They furnished an increasing array of amenities, such as heat in the winter, electric fans in the summer, private bathrooms, linens and radios. Most tourist homes and camps included gas pumps, a restaurant and several cabins.

The construction of the interstate highway system in the late 1950s and early 1960s signaled the decline of “mom and pop” tourist camps.

Morehead had many tourist camps, inns, roadhouses and tourist homes. Two of the best known are the Shady Rest and the Mayflower.

Shady Rest Tourist Home and Tourist Camp 1933-1970
West Main and North Blair Avenue

The Shady Rest was a Tourist Home and Tourist Camp, which had a service station, restaurant and cabins. From 1952-1957 the restaurant was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the first in Morehead!

The large home was built in 1920’s by Woodie Hinton on West Main Street. It was sold to Virgil D. “Mike” Flood (1897-1979) in 1933 and he and turned it into the Shady Rest Tourist Home. Mike had been co-owner of the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant with James M. “Chinn” Clayton(1898-1974) that they opened in 1925. In the late 1930’s, due to the oncoming depression, they decided the restaurant could not support both families so Chinn bought out Mikes share.

In May of 1936, Woody Hinton purchased one-half interest in the Shady Rest and will manage the business. Flood would not take an active interest in the future.

After Flood was hired at the Post Office in 1940, he sold the tourist home to Chester Caskey (1895-1976). Flood became Postmaster October 1, 1942.

In May 1941, Roy E. Holbrook (1897-1962) and his son Harold (1925-2012) leased the Shady Rest Service Station from Flood and began operating it. They carried a complete line of accessories and will operate a complete greasing and washing service.

In January 1944, the Collins Motor Company took over the building being used as the service station and moved their used car and parts warehouse next door.

On January 15, 1952, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Keith and Leonard Davis bought the Shady Rest and ran it until it closed in August 1970.

Mayflower Tourist Camp 1935-1969

The Mayflower Tourist Camp was directly across the street from the Shady Rest. It was a log cabin with restaurant and large dance hall and gas pumps. Their special attraction was an old moonshine still.
There were eight small log cabins for guests and was a popular spot for dining and dancing.

The Mayflower was opened in 1935 by Clell (1901-1987) and Sylvia (1907-1978) Bruce. Clell had to work in a defense plant during World War II so he sold it on September 18, 1945 to Earl Maddox. Later owners were Jack West and Alfred “Alf” Caskey (1885-1957), owner of the Caskey Hotel and many other businesses.

In 1947, Alf’s nephew O’Rear (1912-1969) and Velva Caskey (1920-2013) purchased it and ran it until 1969. O’Rear also had a taxi service and six taxis. After O’Rears death, Velva closed the tourist camp and kept the property and taxi service.

Over the years, the building was a donut shop, dry cleaners, photo shop, tax business, classic car shop (run by her son Ron) and Mystic Moon. It is currently a residence. In May 2026, two of the remaining cabins burned and were razed. There is one cabin left that is being used as a residence.

More next week! Photos on Friday's Historical Photo Friday on the RCPL FB Page!

Sources
Rowan County News 12/16/37, 1/20/44, 5/19.41
Morehead Memories Jack Ellis, Findagrave.com
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/.../tourist-camps.../

05/29/2026

Historical Photo Friday! The Bruce Motel/ University Lodge. For more information on the hotel, see Preserving Your Heritage post from Wednesday on the Rowan County Public Library page

05/22/2026

Historical Photo Friday! The American House, one of Craig Tolliver hotels, located on the corner of Fairbanks Avenue and Railroad Street. (South Wilson and First Street) Date unknown.
Photo courtesy Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon by Harry Harrison Kroll.