Little America, Cheyenne

Speedo2

Speedo2

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There is active thread called "Poor Farms" in which one of the forum regulars (FerrelMerill) describes his family's migration from Wisconsin to California and Oregon back in the 40's. As usual, it's a good read. In it he describes a truck stop call Little America, located near Cheyenne, Wy, as a greasy-spoon truck stop. Well, man that sure brought back some memories. I recall that place from my youth in the mid-50's as a truck stop, restaurant and ice cream parlor; one of those places that my family just had to stop at on our occasional transcontinental driving trips. Little America and/or Wall Drug; it just wasn't a cross-country trip without stopping there. Also it was a place that I got harassed a bit as a long-haired, hippy freak kinda guy back in 1970, when I first ventured out on my own (...by a bunch of knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing local cowboys as I recall, but I digress).

Regardless, that place sure has changed. My wife and I stopped there last week at the beginning of our semi-occasional great-western adventure and it is now a high-fullutin', gussied-up golf resort. Not a truck to be seen in the parking lot! And, man their prices for food and souvenirs sort of took my breath away. Anyway, just for FM, here's a couple of photos of how it looks today:
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...man, I remember those stuffed penguins (...the one on the left) from back in 1957. Some things do indeed change with time. -S2
 
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Thanks, I appricate that. Thats it all right. Just another little story here of a coincidence involveing it. Back in 1968, I decided to ride my 1963 Harley to wisconsin. After visiting the folks I was headed back to california. When I left on the trip from california I had a close friend that also was going on his vacation on his BMW motorcycle. We wasnt going at the same time as we didnt quite match up, and he was going just wherever. I had pulled over near little america to change a flat for two women. As I was getting on my bike I looked over across the freeway and seen dean on his bmw flying down the highway the direction I had come from. We hooked up, rode a few miles to little america to plan on takeing a side trip to the tetons from there. Whats the odds of that? This was my ride on that trip, but not there.

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I remember when Little America, on a good day, was nothing but a greasy spoon truck stop. Yet I loved the Wall drug store got my first real pair of boots there. Didn't they used to have old west shootouts in front of it?
 
Down the road at Johnson's Corner (Colorado) they have changed a lot, but not nearly as much as Little America. There were certain relatives near there that I was obligated to visit. The relatives couldn't cook worth a hoot. Always stopped at Johnson's Corner for a Deluxe Hamburger (potato chips on the side!) and a cup of joe to lessen the upcoming bad meal that was waiting for me.
 
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Thats a 63 FL. In 1966 I bought it for $1,000s. Didnt have many miles either. The guy I sold it to in about 1971 killed himself on it! That bike was perfectly balanced and smooth. Think I sold it for $900 after putting many miles on it. I mentioned we went to the tetons. I had worked up there in 1961 for the NPS for a 6 month hitch. I checked in with a GF that watched my house and she said someone broke in and stold all my guns! We were in jackson, I left jackson about 7am. I hit a pass with heavy snow. Got to SLC and needed a rear tire. The dealer sold me a recap. Never heard of that before or since. But I was next to broke. I tried to put it on myself for a couple lost hours and they finaly took pity on me and mounted it to get rid of me. When I hit st. george UT, that night it was so hot I peeled to my T-shirt. Got to vegas, walked around and decided to try for home. Got to old whiskey petes at nev/cal state line for gas and they told me bobby kennedy was just shot. Rode her in to home (Tujunga ca) it was exactly 1,000 miles and 24 hours from jackson wy! I was froze in a rideing crouch, left the motor packed in the back yard and fell on top the bed and never undressed!
The house was broke into, one revolver missing. (A ruger single six). I had thought I told the GF I had hid my guns, either I didnt or she forgot, but noticed the ruger I had left her for protection was gone and thought they all were stolen. Later I found a bb revolver that the theif threw down in the yard when he seen it wasnt a colt saa.
About a week later we were rideing and that tire broke apart slick as if it had been cut with a knife! I didnt drop it, but it did wipe out my wireing under the rear fender. Doesnt take much to get me started, does it? By the way I googled it and little america goy its start in 1934.
 
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Little America has two other locations, one in Flagstaff, AZ and one near the Hwy 30 cut-off from I-80 close to Granger, WY. Both still cater to trucks. I've never stopped at the one in Cheyenne, but I think they still have truck parking somewhere. It might just be such a big place you didn't see it. The food is usually pretty good at Little America, but it ain't cheap. ;)

Oh, and I'm pretty sure Iggy doesn't appreciate being called a "knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing local cowboy." :D Maybe time has mellowed him a little. (Sorry, Iggy, I couldn't help myself.)
 
Truckemup97,

About that time, Ol Iggy was on the WHP and was stationed in Green River WY. I drank a lot of 40 weight at the original LA.

They cleaned their huge coffee makin' machines with a worn out straw broom around 0300 every day.:eek:

Don't think the one in Cheyenne opened until the very late 60's. It was the turn-around for PIE drivers back then.

They recently renovated the one in Cheyenne. They don't much cater to truckers anymore, nor middle classed tourists or anyone else of that ilk.:(
 
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Just a few inaccuracies. The original "Little America", named after the earliest experiment station in Antarctica, still exists, but it is just where it always has been, about 35 miles west of Rock Springs and about 275 road miles west of Cheyenne. Cheyenne is just one of it's many locations, not all named "Little America".

Quite a few years ago Little America, Inc. bought all asssets of Sinclair Refining and became Little America Refining Co. headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. Earl Holding, son-in-law of the founder of Little America was President at the time and Ken Knight the General Manager of Little America.

LARCO owns and operates quite a few hotels including a 5 star location in San Diego (don't recall the name) Little Americas in Salt Lake City, Flagstaff, Cheyenne, Little America WY, and the Grand America in Salt Lake City. There are numerous service stations and several truck stops as, have been noted, doing business under both the Little America and Sinclair names.

My first experience with the original store was in 1962 during a drive from Omaha, NE (have to add NE, there are at least 5 Omahas in the US, betcha you didn't know that!) and Seattle. This was the summer of the World's Fair. This was well before the Sinclair connection, and I-80.
 
About 16 years ago, I took a trip to Rock Spings to pick up some horses. Took this young (15 year old) ranch kid with me cause frankly, he could handle horsed much better then I. Good kid even if he hadn't got around much.

Problem was he hadn't been to town much, and never out of the country except for a trip to Casper to pick up his folks new house.

Any we stopped at Little America in Cheyenne, to meat my son who was stationed at Ft Carson.

While waiting for our food, he goes to the john, comes back out, and, not in a whisper tells me, "I counted 12 places to pee in there and that didn't count the sinks".

That got us some wierd looks from the tourist.
 
Have attented a couple of business conferences there and even stayed there a couple of times. Very nice place. It is like a small city; has everything a person needs on..............
Yes, the conference restrooms have at least that many stalls (at least on the mens side; don't know about the female side).
wyo-man
 
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