"A Look Back"

The Stories presented here are about people and events during the early days when this corner of Colorado was first settled.

Craig Motel
By Dan Davidson and Jan Gerber

As major highways began to see improvements during the 1920s and 1930s one of the new features on the American scene were motels first called Tourist Camps or Cabin Courts.

In Craig the first one was the Ellis Tourist Camp at 894 Yampa Ave. once known as the Craig Cottage Court and now known as the Craig Motel.

The Ellis Tourist Camp was begun in the fall of 1927 by Ben H. Ellis, with the construction of a number of cabins. On October 1, 1928 it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Dresser, whom will be fondly remembered by many Craig residents. They soon remodeled and redecorated the nine units.

By 1929 it had grown to include eleven cabins and a home for the caretaker.

The Craig Empire of Feb. 6, 1929 mentions the following about the new tourist camp. “Each cabin is electric lighted and furnished with bed, springs, mattress, stove, table, chairs, and cupboards, also good water, coal, and kindling are supplied.” The following improvements we’re planned for the spring. “several new cabins with kitchenettes and garage, also a laundry and bath house, including separate sanitary toilets and hot shower baths.” “The camp is well located, being situated in a quiet part of town, on the north and south Highway, just four blocks north of the bank, and Highway 40. Free maps and a daily road report are furnished the tourists.”

The July 10, 1929 Craig Empire states “E.L. Dresser this week started work on a group of six new cottages for his Ellis Camp ground. The new cottages will be of the latest design, more pretentious and with more convenience than any camp along the Victory highway between Denver and Salt Lake City. Each cottage will have running water and electric lights and an attached garage. Business has been rushing at the Ellis camp all summer.”

A May 19, 1948 Craig Empire Courier article states “ he ( Eugene Dresser) found the tourist business was a rugged life involving an uphill struggle for quite a while. In 1932 and 1933 the crash hit and Dresser lost both his home and his homestead, but by hard struggle he was able to keep the tourist court.” By 1935 business started to pick up.

According to the same article “ The one exciting moment in E.L. Dresser’s tourist business occurred while he was in Seattle, Wash. While there he read in the paper that Shirley Temple had stopped over in Craig and when he returned he learned that she and her party stayed at his tourist court. That was in 1940 and caused quite a bit of excitement in Craig.”

Soon the business was on its feet and the Dressers decided to expand the business to include 27 units, plus a main building for the office and residence. Through the years they continued to make improvements, becoming a lucrative business which enabled them to operate the business in the summer months and spend the winter months in Florida. The owned the motel until 1977 when it was purchased by May Perkins.

After several more changes in ownership, the Craig Motel continued to operate much the same as it had for many years. Sadly, the motel caught on fire this week, leaving another huge loss to our community.