Rankin Motel listed in the National Register of Historic Places

FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – The Rankin Auto Court near the City of Ashton was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Developed starting in 1920, the historic facility in Fremont County was one of the early regional motels that opened to meet the demand for automobile-oriented accommodations from motorists traveling to Yellowstone National Park.

“The Idaho State Historic Preservation Office is excited to see the Rankin Auto Court listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to its association with tourism to Yellowstone National Park, it is a significant local example of the early architectural development of the motel building type, exemplifying the cabin camp, cottage court, and motor court phases of roadside hostelry architecture,” says Jason Tippeconnic Fox, National Register Coordinator at SHPO, which administers the NRHP program.

In 1920, the Rankin family capitalized on burgeoning automobile tourism in the region by developing a portion of their farm along the Yellowstone Highway as an auto court. They laid out a U-shaped drive and built several cabins on the property to provide accommodation for passing travelers.

Following several years of development, the Rankin Auto Court officially opened in 1924. Kenny and Eva Rankin operated the auto court for the next four decades, developing the “mom and pop” facility to meet the increasing demand for automobile tourism in the area by building additional guest accommodation and amenities.

The property has remained in the Rankin family for three generations; Betty Rankin, Kenny and Eva’s daughter, and her husband Bryon Grover purchased the auto court in 1967.

Today, Betty and Bryon’s daughters, Jennifer Groom and Kim Grover-Haskin, own and operate the facility as it nears the 100th anniversary of its opening.

The NRHP is the official list of the Nation's historic places considered important in our past and worthy of preservation.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's NRHP is the cornerstone of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

The National Register program is honorific and does not restrict the rights of private property owners.