GC2T7KW The El Rancho Rankin Motel (Traditional Cache) in Ohio, United States created by wwbd

This cache has been archived.

wwbd: So much construction and I no longer work near this area. Goodbye!

GC2T7KW ▼

A cache by wwbd Message this owner

Hidden : 4/15/2011

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Related Web Page

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

I hid a different cache near here last year and a couple of folks mentioned The El Rancho Rankin Motel which I had never heard of so I did some Googling and found out the following:

A man by the name of Rankin Harrison built the The El Rancho Rankin Motel here in the 1940's. Harrison called himself an “Ohio Colonel,” a member of the National Commander of the Honorable Order of Ohio Colonels, a secret fraternal organization he himself founded.
One of the things that Colonel Rankin was famous for was his fondness for riding around in his Cadillacs, towing an Airstream trailer. Both his matching white Cadillacs had matching life-sized mustangs mounted on the back.

Most people considered the two-story neon lit motel an eyesore which featured, among other things, a bar and brightly-colored fiberglass animals around the property.
The following description was made by Stephen Koff of Cincinnati Magazine in 1983. "The door, festooned with an hombre snoozing against a cactus, his donkey nearby, was painted blue. The room had blue carpeting, spurious wood paneling, with a bed that is either a large twin or a small double was the exact width of two pillows. The door to the right opens to reveal a two-burner stove, single basin sink and a half-size Kenmore refrigerator. A three-shelf cabinet is furnished with three sets of Styrofoam dishes and plastic utensils, neatly lined up. A wooden table hangs on hinges against the inside kitchenette door, painted orange and with a hinged wooded leg to prop it up. All art work is firmly glued or nailed to the wall."

The Colonel died in 1995 and the Anderson Township Fire Chief made the decision to close the place down as a fire hazard a few years later. 300 men, women and children were evicted from the motel and it was torn down. Later they built the strip mall called Skytop Plaza, which is now mostly vacant itself, except for the ~~Bigg's~~ (now Remke), ~~a BW3's~~ (moved) and ~~a Mexican restaurant named El Rancho Grande~~ (closed) which I'd like to think is named as an homage to this once colorful place.
I guess the El Rancho Rankin Motel is back open as a Travel Bug Motel (but I don't want to call it that) since container is large enough for small trade items. Please replace in the same manner in order for the container to stay open for business.