Mom and Pop Motels

Mom and Pop Motels. The Paulsen-Strufe Motel. During the heyday of Route 66 from the 1930s to the 50s, there were no motel chains. Instead, local families operated small campgrounds, cabins, and motor courts. The Paulsen-Strufe Motel, built in 1935, was more than just a place to stay; it was a home for the family and an integral part of the community., The Strufes, In 1952, John and Dorothy Strufe purchased the business and called it the Strufe Motel. After remodeling and enclosing the carports in 1959, they renamed it the Arrow Motel., The Paulsens, The motel began in 1935 as a gas station owned by Danish immigrants, Marlin and Metha Paulsen. They built five cabins with carports and called it Paulsen Court. , A Family Affair, The Strufe and Paulsen children grew up here. Running a motel was truly a family affair, from washing and hanging sheets to pumping gas. Everyone helped out., The Paulsens and Strufes named rooms after female family members: 1-Rita, 2-Peggy, 3-Carol, and so on. Repeat travelers would remember which “girl” they had stayed in the last time through., (side quote:), “The job I remember liking the least was the daily laundry. Sometimes the clothesline would fall down and I had to wash everything all over again.” – Metha Paulsen