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BOOTS COURT MOTEL
circa 1939
107 S. Garrison Avenue

HISTORY OF THE BOOTS

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1931

Loyd Boots builds the Boots Cottage Court in Eldon, Missouri, inspiring his kid brother Arthur to build a Carthage location.

 

1930s

Loyd’s kid brother, Arthur Boots, opens the Red Horse service station at the “Crossroads of America,” where the Jefferson Highway meets Route 66 in Carthage, Missouri. 

 

1939

Arthur & Ilda Boots open the Boots Court with four rooms in the Streamline Moderne architectural style, utilizing the service station as the front office. When business proves quite successful, an additional four rooms are added.  The Boots offers carport parking directly beside rooms and advertises a “Radio in Every Room.” The original nightly rental price is $2.50.

 

1942

The Boots Court is sold to Ples and Grace Neeley. Clark Gable arrives and stays in Room #6.


1946

The Neeleys expand the motel by five rooms, including four double queen rooms, to accommodate post-war travelers with families. This new building at the rear of the complex has carport parking beneath the rooms, accessible by stairs. In keeping with the traditions and superstitions of the time, Room #13 is skipped and named 14 instead. Arthur Boots builds the Boots Drive-In in Carthage. It offers all-day breakfast and becomes the home of the KDMO radio broadcast, “Breakfast from The Crossroads,” hosted by Lee Crocker.

 

1947

Clark Gable returns for his second stay and signs autographs in Room #10.

 

1948

The Boots Court is sold to professional wrestler Ruben Asplin and his wife Rachel. They own the motel until her death in 1991. During the 1950s the name is changed to Boots Motel and is one of the first area motels to offer television and air conditioning. Other notable celebrities are said to stay at the Boots Motel, and/or dine at the Boots Drive-In, including Gene Autry, Smiley Burnett, Guy Lombardo, and Mickey Mantle.

 

1950s

Arthur sells the Boots Drive-In to his son Bob and his brother-in-law Jude Ardney. Bob sells his share to Jude and moves to Tulsa. Jude owns the Drive-In for ten years.

 

1962

Bob Boots opens a Boots Drive-In in Tulsa, OK. It is purchased in 1968 by Basil Blackburn who in 1971 changes the name to “Mr. B’s.”

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1991 – 2011

The Boots survives a series of owners, low-income housing, and a 2003 demolition and redevelopment attempt. In 2011, the Boots Motel is listed as one of the ten most endangered roadside attractions in America by the Society for Commercial Archaeology, and among the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation’s most endangered buildings in the state.
 

2011
Preservationists and sisters Deborah Harvey and Priscilla Bledsaw purchase the motel and begin the restoration process. The gabled roof is removed, the neon restored, and some rooms are made available to Route 66 and other travelers to rent. The sign is restored to the original Boots Court name in 2013 by the original sign maker.

 

2021

The non-profit Boots Court Foundation is established to purchase the motel from the sisters. Extensive rehabilitation efforts are initiated.  Additional structures around the motel are acquired to enhance the property and community.

 

2022

Boots Court Motel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, further highlighting its historic tourism status for the community.

 

2023

Boots Court Motel receives a Preserve Missouri Award from Missouri Preservation.

 

2025

All 13 rooms of the Boots are rehabilitated and open for guests, neon is repaired and operational, the Visitor Center is open, and green space is being developed for further enjoyment by visitors.  Boots Court remains one of the oldest motels on Historic Route 66, serving as a popular attraction along the Route and making Carthage a desired tourism destination.

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