Modern Wayside Motel
Known Name(s)
Modern Wayside Motel
Address
1430 6th St. Brookings, SD
Establishment Type(s)
Motel
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
In 1960, the Wayside Motel (Wayside Motor Court) had a free-standing neon sign at its roadside, an office with a flat roof, and long rows of gable-roofed, wood-frame structures containing the rooms to rent. Earlier, a AAA postcard advertised 12 freestanding, gable-roofed, rental cottages. The property has since been demolished.
Click here for a historic photo.
Sources: [E.C. Kropp Co., Postcard of Wayside Motor Court; Photograph of the Wayside Motor Court, Brookings, 1960, #NA01-02-00399, Norby Collection, Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings, https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/Norby/id/572/].
Detailed History
In early years, one of the Modern Wayside Motel's managers was Don H. Pugh. In 1965, Stanley and Verla Knudson bought the property. Later, it was owned by Bette and Gary Watts from 1982 until 1999, when the business closed.
Sources: [E.C. Kropp Co., Postcard of Wayside Motor Court; "Brookings Businesses 1879-2003," Norby Collection Databases, Brookings Businesses Listed by Street Address, Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings; Obituaries: "Stanley Kenneth Knudson (1919-2014)," Rude’s Funeral Home; "Verla Knudson (1921-2017)," Brookings Register (SD), April 3, 2017; and "Bette Watts (1941-2019)," Pipestone County Star (MN), August 13, 2019].
