Reed/Niland Corner Historic Hotel/Cafe
category : Historic Buildings
Travel the Lincoln or Jefferson Highway to the "one-stop" destination of many travelers during the 1940's. The Reed/Niland Corner provides a self-guided walking tour of this recently renovated site. As you walk along the pathways, you will learn its history and view the actual motel facilities and gas station with its artifacts. A visit to the Reed/Niland Corner will take you back to the 40's! Between 1923 and 1995, relatives Charlie Reed and the Niland families, operated one or more components of what was, for many years, a "one-stop" business. They provided gas, food and lodging to travelers along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) and the Jefferson Highway (U.S. 65). Their business included a canopy-style, full service gas station, a cafe, tourist cabins, a restroom/shower building for cabin occupants, a motel, and an apartment building. All six major buildings remain structurally sound today.
The Reed/Niland Corner sits in a "Y" created by the routes of the original 1913 Transcontinental Highway, which stretched from New York City to San Francisco and the 1915 Jefferson Highway that ran from Winnipeg to New Orleans. These highways later became the numbered highways known as U.S. Highway 30 and U.S. Highway 65. The early highway features of the "Y" intersection and the grade separation of the Lincoln and Jefferson Highways provide even further value to this site. The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association (ILHA) identified the Reed/Niland Corner as one of seven key sites for presenting the history of the Lincoln Highway in Iowa. The Reed/Niland Corner was found to be the most intact and best preserved commercial "one-stop" site on the Lincoln Highway in Iowa and possibly even the entire United States.
Hours: See website for cafe hours.
Address: Highways U.S.30 & U.S.65
Phone: 641-377-3663
Our Email: colocity@netins.net
Our Website:www.colo-iowa.org/nilands.html
Come visit us in Colo, Iowa