What a great picture provided by Mike Noble, the son of Toby Noble who was the risk taker who built one of the first motels in Searcy Arkansas.  The year was 1951, says Mike, and the location was 2203 East Race Street.

Mike also says that the motel was built when the road was not even paved and it was built in sections.

This pictures shows the first row of rooms and the office.  The rooms had garages, if you'll note.  Later Toby decided to make additional rooms out of the garages and the row of rooms that you're seeing in these photos was bricked and remain to this day.

Noble Motel, Searcy AR, circa 1951

Another little tidbit of information was that the office shown here was passed on to Earl Baker's Car Sales.  I'm still trying to figure out where that location was.  Toby Noble built a nice big new office for his motel. 

Barbara S Duncan

Hopefully, your chosen agent in

Searcy Arkansas!

www.barbarasduncan.com

 

8 Comments on Noble's Motel, Searcy AR, the very first look.....the beginning.....1951.

AUG
23
2010
257,100 Points 30 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Barbara, I do not think I can recall seeing a 'motor court' with garages. Pretty upscale for the time! Good work. I can hardly wait for a current photo to compare.
8:19am • #1
1,152,004 Points 53 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Barbara,

That looks very early 50's. Pretty bare bones.
4:29pm • #2
648,780 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Charles, I wonder if the garage had a dirt floor.  LOL.  I'm trying to find a more modern picture.

Steven, bare bones is right.  It is a really early picture of the motel.
9:43pm • #3
AUG
24
2010
1,152,004 Points 53 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Godmother to Nutsy,

Nutsy and I was borned under a place like that. He should be home soon so he will be checking in with you. Glad I was able to amuse and entertain you with my musical exploits.

Wheatloaf, superstar singer
8:58pm • #4
648,780 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Wheatloaf, Nutsy still has a room reserved here.  If we can just figure out where he is...........
9:22pm • #5
AUG
25
2010
949,952 Points 52 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Barbara - A year ago, I made a road trip to Utah's Highway 12.  Highway 12 has 3 national parks, including Zion, Bryce and Capital Reef.  It takes 3 hours to drive from one end of that highway to the other.  But, you wouldn't want to do that, because of all the sights and parks along the way.  I stayed in the town of Escalante, which was half way along the highway.  The Circle C Motel was a vintage adobe motel, that was cozy and felt so wonderful to stay at.  There is something about staying somewhere, that you can park at the door, and not need to take an elevator to get to your room.
1:16am • #6
648,780 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Myrl, I remember the resistance that I felt when motels where you could park in front of your room started becoming extinct.  There was something very nice about backing your car trunk up to the room and walking 6' to get inside.  Of course, back then we didn't have rolling suitcases either.  Those things were heavy!  I still don't much like having to trust someone with my car in front of a huge hotel while I roll my suitcase up to the 11th floor or some other number similar.  Thanks for comment.
9:43am • #7

Myrl, isn't Utah SR 12 from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef just about the most beautiful drive  you have ever seen?  We have done it a couple of times.
We were going through Escalante one warm, sunny day when a police car came out of a side road, with light on and siren screaming, and stopped right in front of us causing us to make an emergency stop.  We didn't know what we were being stopped for but the blood pressure sure went up.  Just as we stopped, the manhole cover about 30 feet in front of us shot up and a gusher of water went 5 or 6 foot high.  Then a wall of water came down the side street and flooded the intersection.  In just a few minutes, things returned to normal.  The policeman came over to the car and said we could go now.  I asked what was going on and he said that there had been a sudden rainstorm several miles up in the mountains and it had created the flash flood.
When we travel by car we always look for motels one can park right outside the room but they are hard to find anymore. 
Harold Gene Sullivan
8:02pm • #8


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Barbara S. Duncan, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR (RE/MAX Advantage) Rainmaker_large

Barbara S. Duncan, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR

Searcy, AR

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RE/MAX Advantage

Address: 1507 E Race, Searcy, AR, 72143

Office Phone: (501) 268-1115

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