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Boots Court

107 S. Garrison, Carthage, MO
Phone: 417-310-2989

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This is one of those vintage motels along the Mother Road that you might need to plan well ahead of time if you want to spend a night there. A sign proudly proclaims there to be "A Radio in Every Room" at the 1939 Boots Court. Named after the original owner, Arthur Boots, the motel opened with a Mobile gas station in front and four guest rooms connected by carports behind the station. The station was in what is the office today and served both the station and the motel business. The motel was enough of a success that four more rooms were soon added and the Mobil gas pumps out front were done away with. A few years later Boots also built a Boots Drive-in across the street.

Then came five more units in a separate building behind the main building. Those units didn't have carports between them, instead they had garages underneath each unit. The garages were accessible from the alley behind the building. That brought the number of rooms to 13, but the 13th room was reportedly numbered as 14, because who wants to stay in room #13?

The motel changed hands a couple times in the 1940s, once when Boots and his wife got a divorcé and she got the motel, then again in 1944 when she sold it to the Neelys. The Neelys sold the motel to Mr. and Mrs. Asplin in 1948. About that time the name was changed to the Boots Motel and the front two units were made into a manager's apartment. Mr. Asplin passed away in the mid-1970s and Mrs. Asplin continued to run the motel until her passing in 1991. Theirs was the longest period of ownership to date.

The next owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, converted the front two units into living quarters. They owned the motel for ten years before selling it. The next ten years are not quite as clear, but eventually, and thankfully, sisters Debye Harvey and Priscilla Bledsaw managed to buy the motel and begin rehabilitating in about 2012. The building changed hands again 2021.

This photo shows gable roof that was installed in the 1970s because of maintenance issues with the original flat roof. The gable roof was removed and the flat roof was restored in the spring of 2013. Removing the gable roof was a great improvement to the building.

The motel features these rather unusual drive thru carports. Each carport serves two units.

Also restored in 2013 was the neon sign which once again reads Boots Court.

The old Boots Motel sign was showing some wear by the time it was restored. The sign can on the top with the arrow wasn't included in the restoration. Neither did a sign can previously located below the main sign that held a neon "Air Conditioned" sign.

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

BOOTS COURT
AT THE CROSSROADS OF AMERICA
A new modern court of 14 units each with tile shower, floor furnace heat thermostat controlled air conditioned, and garage. Three blocks from business district. Good cafes within 1/2 block.
Phone 3946
Mr. and Mrs. Rueben W.Asplin,
Managing Owners

BOOTS COURT
AT THE CROSSROADS OF AMERICA
AAA
Modern court - 14 Units each with tile shower, floor furnace heat thermostat control, Air-conditioned, Beauty Rest Mattresses - Television and Garage. Good cafes across street.
Phone 9846
Mr. and Mrs. Rueben W. Asplin
Managing Owners

NOTE: The second postcard lists TVs as one of the amenities of the motel. The mention of televisions dates the card to 1953 or later, because that's when the first TV station appeared in Carthage. A subtle difference between these cards is that the second shows the second building at the back of the lot.
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Photo(s): 2012 - 2013