VALLEY HIGHWAYS Two highways one a scenic route along the Rogue river,
it exists? Motel and other business owners along Highway 99 between
Features
SECTION
'Scenic Route' Businesses Try
To Attract Tourists Off Freeway
By JIM FRAKE
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
Tourism is important to the
economy of southern Oregon
and, in particular, to the mo
tels that line the highways.
To what extent tourist facilities-including
motels, res
taurants, service stations and
scenic attractions-are exploit
ed depends largely on two
things: that tourists know
such facilities exist and that
they have a desire to find
them.
There are many reasons
why tourists would want to
spend the night in the Rogue
valley. Medford is about half
way between Portland and
San Francisco, the primary in
terstate freeway sweeps
through the area, Medford is
recognized as an important
shopping center, there are 44
consecutive performances at
the Oregon Shakespearean
festival in Ashland, there is
easy access to Crater lake and
the Oregon caves and, of
course, the Rogue valley is on
the route to the Seattle
World's Fair.
Whatever the reason, tour
ists are flocking to motels,
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a.,
ASSOCIATION'S SIGN The Rogue River Businessmen's board near the Foots Creek exit of Interstate S. (Knack
association spent more than $3,000 for this 60 foot long bill- stedt photos)
MEDFORD,
B MEDFORD. OREGON. SUNDAY. AUGUST 19. 1962 PAGES 1 to 8
hotels, trailer parks and camp
grounds daily, looking for a
place to spend the night.
Until about a year ago, a
motorist could drive from
Ashland to Grants Pass and
never be too far from motels.
Since portions of the new In
terstate 5 freeway have been
opened a tourist, who finds
lodging accomodations in the
cities filled, may unknowingly
return lo the freeway and con
tinue to Roseburg or into Cali
fornia. Motels on what is termed
the "Rogue River highway,"
Highway 99 from Rock Point
(near Gold Hill) to Grants
Pass, no longer are on the
main route between Medford
and Grants Pass. What effect
will this have on their busi
ness? The freeway, by-pasing bus
iness on Highway 99 from
Rock Point to the city of
Rogue River, opened late last
summer. Another freeway
link from Rogue River to be
yond Grants Pass opened
about June 1 of this year.
Along with restaurants,
service stations and other bus
inesses, there are more than
'
W1
the other an interstate freeway
Rock Point and Grants Pass think
Sports
f&JTRIBUNE
50 motels, along the "old"
highway.
A check of motels in this
area showed that most motel
owners believe the new free
way has "hurt" their business.
Many have taken steps to re
lain their tourist trade. Others
said it was "too soon lo tell."
and it was pointed out that
this is an "abnormal year" for
comparison because of the
World's Fair.
Jack Shoemaker of the Fly
caster motel said their busi
ness had been hurt, but "not
as bad as we thought it
would." Much of his business,
he noted, included customers
who had stayed there before,
and those stopping because of
his American Automobile as
sociation (AAA) affiliation.
Another motel owner had
mixed emotions about the new
freeway. He said he was glad
that the freeway had taken
most of the traffic away from
his door because of the noise,
but at the same time his bus
iness had dropped consider
ably. Although he had but six
units, he said they have re
mained empty many nights
this summer.
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are available lo southern Oregon tourists. Will travelers leave the wide
so and have formed an association to let the out-of-state traveler know
Mrs. Lee Shrode, manager
of the Rio Linda court, ad
. milted the new freeway may
have done "a Utile damage,"
but said she has had a "pretty
good summer this year." She
and her husband manage five
units.
The owners of (he Slar
motel, Mr. and Airs. Harold
Weed, said their four rentals
are filled "most of the time,"
but that "this is not unusual
for August." They also re
ported "occasional winter bus
iness" until the freeway
opened last year.
A delivery man, who col
lects laundry from motels
along the Rogue river for a
Grants Pass firm, claims that
motel business has dropped
two-thirds "for the most part."
He contends that business was
"good" north of Rogue River
along the old highway be
cause of the "overflow" from
Grants Pass when the down
town motels are filled.
Ed Schrccengost, owner of
the Laurels motel, upheld that
the freeway had "cut out the
transient business." Neverthe
less, he said that "within five
years there'll be more busi
ness than ever before." The
owner warned that motels, es
pecially the small ones, would,
have to keep up with the
times.
Those motels that don't at
tract new business will "real
ly suffer," he concluded.
Tourists Art "Confused"
The majority of the small
motel owners In the affected
area had one thought in common-tourists
are "confused."
As Marvin LcManter, who op
erates the Foots Creek Coun
try store and trailer park put
It: "They're not sure what's
off the freeway, and many
don't even realize they're near
river."
"They're lost," Is the way
one motel owner described it.
Mack Lillard, who owns the
Welcome motel located be
tween Rogue River and
Grants Pass, says many of his
regular customers go by with
out realizing they've missed
the motels along the river.
Of major concern to the
people In this area is having
adequate signs on the freeway
to tell motorists where tourist
facilities arc and that they
can reach Grants Pass via the
route along the Rogue river.
Lack of Signs
LcMasler insists there is a
lack of signs. Another said
there were "no signs to show
that there was anything here
(along the river.) I've never
seen such a bunch of crazy
signing In my life," he com
mented. Shoemaker agreed that the
freeway "isn't signed right."
He felt that there were no
signs saying where the old
highway goes. Motorists don't
realize that it's "the scenic
route," one businessman not
ed. In an effort to obtain better
signs on the freeway, several
motel owners have written to
the state highway commission
seeking assistance. The com
mission, in turn, has met with
area residents to discuss the
situation.
Al Head, who supervises in
stallation of signs for the high
way commission, has helped
the motel owners "consider
ably" according to some, but
others claim there isn't ade
quate signing. One motel own
er said the "gas-food-lodging"
niarkers re "very effective,"
while others say they are too
small and fail to point out
the scenic attraction of the
Rogue river.
Shortly after the freeway
opened, the commission posted
a sign near the Fools Creek
exit indicating the turn-off
for the Redwood highway
(Highway 199). Under this ar
rangement, motorists would
travel along the river on the
old highway until they
reached the U. S. 199 junc
tion in Grants Pass. Earlier
this summer the sign was re
moved and U. S. 199 traffic
now turns off the Interstate
ft freeway at the Grants Pass
Sixth st. exit. It was reported
the sign was moved for "the
eonvenience of the traveling
public." It was felt that rout
ing motorists who arc travel
ing to the coast off the free
way at Grants Pass would be
more "direct."
One motel owner suggested
that the old highway be called
the "business route," or some
other designation that would
identify it as having river-side
businesses as well as being
another route between Med
ford and Grants Pass.
Erect Billboard
One attempt lo solve the
"sign problem" and end the
"confusion" was the erection
of a 12 by 60 foot billboard
adjacent to the freeway. It
was paid for by more than 100
owners of motels, restaurants,
service stations, sporting
goods stores, grocery stores,
building suppliers and other
businessmen who have formed
the "Rogue River Business
men's Association."
The sign, which cost about
$3,000, was erected In early
April about a mile cast of the
Foots Creek exit. Located at
the left of the roadway, the
sign encourages tourists to
travel the "famous" Rogue
river route.
The project was spearhead
ed by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Oli
ver, owners of Rogue Valley
motel located between Rogue
River and Grants Pass. Scores
,of people were contacted in
the last few months to seek
support for the sign.
Not Necessary
Although the sign has been
met enthusiastically by most
people, some feel it Is "on the
wrong side of the highway"
while others don't think it's
necessary.
In their attempt to let tour
ists know about the Rogue
river and the businesses along
it, the RRBA members are
thinking of other ways to pro
mote their area. A pamphlet,
featuring this area is now
being printed. Bumper strips
telling of the Rogue River
highway may also be distrib
uted, according to the Olivers.
One motel owner summar
ized the situation by saying
that the "freeway won't dam
age anyone if the area is prop
erly promoted." Another
agreed that "those making an
effort" will do okay, regard
less of the freeway.
"Those who aren't keeping
up with the times and are 'out
of style' are the ones who will
be hurt." one stated.
Worried About 'Small Guy'
Jack B. Kaufman, who
owns the Motel Del Rogue
near Grants Pass, is one who
is concerned about what the
freeway Is doing to motel bus
iness along the old highway.
Although it's not hurting his
business, he admits, "I'm wor
ried about the small guy."
Kaufman charges that there
It little cooperation from the
ribbons of divided pavement for a scenic slower route if they know
that tourist facilities are available across the river.
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ADEQUATE?-Some business owners along Highway OP be.
tween Gold Hill and Grams Pa.s feel mai he Oregon Hign
way department signs do not tell the motorist enough so they
will leave the Freeway and seek accommodations along
the "scenic river route."
downtown motels in Granls
Pass. He said that when tour
ists find the downtown motels
filled they follow the "north
bound" and "southbound"
signs and end up back on the
freeway without knowing that
there are scores of motels
along the old highway.
After a letter he wrote on
the situation appeared in the
Grants Pass newspaper, Kauf
man said he received at least
50 telephone call's. Forty-five
per cent of the motel owners
supported the charges, he said.
Owners of some of the down
town motels "apologized" for
any misunderstanding and in
sisted that they didn't discour
age tourists from taking lre
old highway if the Grants
Pass motels arc filled.
Jack McMahan, manager of
the Grants Pass Chamber of
Commerce, rebuked the cries
of "less business" and the
charge that downtown motels
are "unfair." He said he un
derstood that the motels on
the old highway were "doing
quite well" this summer. If
they want any signs or special
promotion, he continued, they
should "do it themselves."
Rtsponiiblt lo Members
McMahan emphasized that
there were only one or two .
motels outside of the down
town area that belonged to the
chamber of commerce and
that "we are responsible to
our members."
After the Kaufman letter
was printed the rnanager re
portedly received four or five
calls from motel owners deny
ing the charges that they were
trying "lo get all the gravy"
and not trying to help the
"little man."
"Whenever possible," Mc
Mahan continued, "we have
made referrals to them (motels
on the old highway), but the
chamber is primarily respon
sible to its members."
In Jackson county. Max
Weston, president of the Jack
son County Motor Court asso
ciation, said definitely that
"cooperation between motels
in the valley is needed." Re
garding the freeway, Weston
said the motels were going
through a "transitional per
iod," but would be able to ad
just. Another point of view on
motel economics was taken by
an area real estate man. The
salesman, who asked his name
not be mentioned, said some
of the motels who are con
cerned about a.tyss of business
FOOTS
CR. EXIT
9
(tirt V i uL'H
have "never been highly prof
itable." "It takes about 20 units to
make it (owning a motel) prof
itable," he stated. Several of
the motels from Rock Point
to Rogue River are four to
eight units in size. More than
one of the motel owners tried
to sell before the freeway was
opened, he noted.
For Sal Signs
The Mall Tribune reporter
found at least three small mo
tels deserted in the area with
a "for sale" sign posted. Oth
ers don't cater to overnight
travelers but rent by the week
or month to people working
in the area.
On the other hand, and
flavored with a touch of
irony, is the fact that two ma
jor developments are planned
for the arca-a 100-space mo
bile home park and a motor
court resembling the famed
Village Green enterprise near
Cottage Grove.
Although little Information
is available on the two pro
posals, it was learned that the
trailer park will be known as
Rock Point village. It is to
feature a recreation hall,
swimming pool, putting green
and hobby shop. A billboard,
located on a site facing the
Rogue River highway near
Rock Point, promises "a com
plete community for adults."
Hold Option
The motor court Is expected
to be located at the Foots
Creek exit adjacent to the In
terstate 5 freeway. The devel
opers reportedly have an op
tion to purchase additional
land across the old highway
on the Rogue river. At least
one nation-wide oil company
is also expected to join the
project.
The consensus seemed to be
that the freeway itself won't
be detrimental to the economy
of this particular area. If bus
inessmen are able to adjust.
The immediate effect of tak
ing a main highway away
from one's door (If he is a mo
tel owner who depends on
tourist trade) certainly can,
and has been In some cases,
disastrous. But with long
range planning and proper
promotion, the tourists will
gladly leave the freeway to
spend their money here.
As one person put It, the
opening of a freeway has al
way's affected someone's
home or business, and Rogut
River highway Is no excep
tion. ,
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