Wat is de geschiedenis van het Blue Swallow Motel?

The story of the Blue Swallow Motel began when Carpenter W.A. Huggins purchased lots on March 29th, 1939 and began construction. The Blue Swallow Court, as it was originally called, was open and operating with ten rooms sometime in 1940. Mr. and Mrs. Huggins operated both the motor court and a cafe on the site. Ted Jones, a prominent eastern New Mexico rancher, was the first long-term owner/operator. When Mr. Jones and his wife died in the 1950s, Lillian Redman and her husband bought the Blue Swallow and successfully operated it, modernizing by installing a new, larger neon sign, and using the more up-to-date term, “Motel”. After owning the Blue Swallow for almost 40 years, Ms. Redman sold the motel in the late 1990s. Extensive restoration work was performed by owners Dale and Hilda Bakke, modernizing electrical systems and repairing neon, installing 1939 Bell rotary-dial phones in each room, while retaining all of the historic character and charm of the Blue Swallow. Robert and Dawn Federico purchased the Blue Swallow Motel in June 2020, and continue to preserve and protect the motel’s legacy today. The Blue Swallow has been serving travelers along the Mother Road since 1939, and today, our guests enjoy a pleasant reminder of what it was like to travel across the USA in the “good old days.”

W.A. Huggins began construction on the Blue Swallow Motel prior to the outbreak of World War II, and Ted Jones, a prominent eastern New Mexico rancher, opened the motel in 1942. When Mr. Jones and his wife died in the 1950s, Lillian Redman and her husband bought the motel and successfully operated it. At the end of the 1960s, Interstate 40, a better and faster highway, took the place of the old Route 66. After owning the Blue Swallow for almost 50 years, Ms. Redman sold the motel in the late 1990s. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, the motel continues to operate as a popular overnight destination.