Little America - Green River, Wyoming
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 41° 32.616 W 109° 51.429
12T E 595322 N 4599735
Little America sought to be an oasis along the Lincoln Highway before truck stops came into being. It opened in 1932 as a simple refueling stop in central Wyoming, and over the years grew to be somewhat of a roadside attraction.
Waymark Code: WM46KH
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2008
Views: 78
One of the places that many kids who passed along the Lincoln Highway (and later I-80) on family road trips remember is Little America. This place was likely one of the nation's first truck stops - its goal to be an oasis in central Wyoming for exhausted travellers.
Opened in 1932 by S.M. Covey, the refueling stop along the Lincoln Highway grew to include numerous gas pumps, a hotel, restaurants and a post office. It was originally built in the streamline style, as the guide notes in the excerpt above, but in the late 1970's was remodelled, stripping it of its character.
Covey named the business Little America after Admiral Byrd's camp on the South Pole. In fact, Covey wanted a live Emperor penquin as a mascot and had one sent from Antarctica. It died on the journey from Antarctica, so they had the bird stuffed and used it anyhow. You can still see the ill-fated bird near the entrance to the restaurant and lounge.
At one time the penguin signs and promises of ice cream for kids and coffee for parents made the place a roadside attraction. Recently, however, the place has tried to appear more upscale and all of the mystery has been taken from it. The signs are now adorned with pictures of pools and large steaks and the poor penguin has been relegated to a dusty back corner.
Americana: Roadside Attraction
Significant Interest: Other Icon
Web Site Address: [Web Link]
Address of Icon:
Interstate 80, Exit 68
Little America, WY USA
82929
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