213.1215.4

The Colonial Motel, located at 527 E. Lincoln Way on the north side of the street, east of the Duff Avenue intersection. This was one of the earliest motels in Ames--all of them located in the same area of Ames. Motels were originally called tourist courts or motor courts and catered to a new class of travelers who made use of the new interstate highway system to provide access to destinations throughout the country. This motel, originally called the Conoco Motel, provided parking adjacent to each unit (note garage doors). This was typical of the motels built in the late 1940s. The proprietor of the Colonial in 1952 was P. Eugene Yates. The Colonial was located near the site of the Ames Canning Factory. The house in this photograph was part of the motel operation and housed the office. (See also: 225.1292.2-3)