Proving it’s possible to be in the middle of nowhere even on a modern interstate, roughly halfway between Green River and Fort Bridger in Wyoming off I-80, sits a motel with gas. Or what used to be just a motel with gas. Perhaps the only motel with gas in the country with its own zip code (82929) and listed as a census-designated place (pop. 68).
Stephen Covey was herding sheep as a boy in the 1890s and got lost in a blizzard. Forced to make camp in 50mph winds and -40° temperatures, he recalled dearly wishing for shelter of some kind. In 1929, Covey saw photos of Admiral Byrd’s Little America camp in Antarctica. Recalling his time as a boy, he returned to the place he camped in 1934 and built a 12-cabin motel with two gas pumps. He added a cocktail lounge with small cafe for travellers along the Lincoln Highway which would eventually become US30, then I-80. It was named “Little America” because Covey felt the comparison with Byrd’s Antarctica station was valid: a place of shelter in the midst of a (at times) frozen, desolate wasteland.
It was Robert Holding that turned Covey’s Little America into the empire it is today. The stop was struggling financially, the facility was isolated and staff was hard to hire and keep. Covey offered Holding and his wife the opportunity to manage the place. They accepted and moved into a small apartment on the grounds. Winter weather caused frequent closures of I-80 (still does), stranding travellers literally on their doorstep. The Holdings chose to concentrate on quality and volume rather than taking advantage of those caught in the frequent road closures.
Building on the Antarctica inspiration, penguins were chosen as the facility mascot. Billboards were placed 100s of miles away, reminding travellers that an oasis in nowhere awaited them. Large ice cream cones were a staple in the advertisements; originally a dime until inflation caused a rise in price to 50¢ (I believe the price has now increased to 75¢ but still a value for the money).
Gasoline sales were so successful, the Holdings bought their own refinery in Casper and in 1976, they bought out Sinclair. In 1979, a massive blizzard stranded 500 people. The hotel rooms were full, every spare mattress and blanket was pulled from storage and lined the hallways. The kitchen stayed open, serving coffee and soup to all regardless of payment.
TheAt one time, the stop had the largest number of gas pumps in the world with 55 pumps.
Robert Holding died in 2013 holding a personal worth of over $3billion
The billboard penguins have been removed, the facility evolved into Grand America Hotels & Resorts consisting of a chain of 8 facilities. The original site now has over 140 hotel rooms but still only has 55 gas pumps.
The company is still owned by the holding family but like many successful ventures, quality and service got in the way of profits.
