Shangri-La

     Remember?......."your kisses take me to Shangri-La. Each kiss is magic, that makes my little world a Shangri-La."
     Back in "our time," any of those musical groups of four had a recording of that song.......the Lettermen, the Four Freshmen, the Four Lads, the Four Coins and various others.
     The Kornerman isn't sure if the song had anything at all to do with the naming of one of Boone's motels of those days but our mention of hotels/motels from that era in our last edition has brought lots of response.
     The question posed was, "name Boone's five hotels and three motels and their locations circa the late 50's/early 60's."
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     From the Texas Hill Country, Chuck Brainard, BHS-50, wrote, "the Shangri-La motel was on the east side of Story Street between Fourth and Sixth Streets. It was a small, white double row of rooms, built, owned and operated by Glenn and Polly Brooks in the beginning. Glenn was a railroad passenger conductor and they were friends of my family. People said that Glenn bore a strong resemblance to the late actor, Franchot Tone."
     Loren Frazier, BHS-58, wrote, "you were correct on the location of the Shangri-La, north of the telephone company building on the east side of Story Street. The current occupant of that area is the Subway store." Loren even sent a photo of the Shangri-La.
     John McLeod, BHS-58 added, "I recall the Shangri-La's grand opening. It was quite an event. The motel was hailed as "up-scale" and a real benefit to Boone. That Fourth and Story intersection, in those days, was the "cross-roads of the city" for years as Mamie Eisenhower then was Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway. The Shangri-La motel was in a perfect location to capture travelers. The other three corners of the intersection, as you will recall, were occupied by service stations."
     The Kornerman has just one more thought on that subject. Way back in a small corner of my 82-year old mind, I'm getting a "recall." Didn't the late Alex Mahood, the old drummer, and family own and operate the Shangri-La in its later years? Sandy, BHS-64, where are you? Is the Kornerman right, or dreaming.........again?
     If you want to review the other hotels/motels of that time, as listed by our quizmaster, check out our last (Nov.29) edition.
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     The Kornerman says, "it seems to me there is a real fine line between hotels, motels and just plain "rooms for rent, 50-cents." Loren Frazier had some ideas. He wrote, "there was a motel on the south side of Fourth (Mamie) and east of Boone Street. There was also a large house on the southeast corner of Fourth and Boone Streets that rented rooms to travelers in the years before motels. A motel, name unknown to me, was built in the 50's between the back of that house and the alley. I think that motel building still remains there. There was also a large house across Fourth Street on the northeast corner of Fourth and Boone Streets that rented rooms to travelers. I'm not sure if my memory is correct on this, but I think the motel/cabins across from the Eastern Star Home also had space for travelers who could pull in small camper/trailers or simply slept in the back of station wagons. Regarding the Crary Hotel, that building became the Mondt Hotel sometime in the 50's. It also housed the Herb Jones Barber Shop, with entrances off the lobby of the hotel and also on Seventh Street. The Mondt Cafe, also a part of the building, was adjacent to the barber shop, also with an entrance on Seventh Street."
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     Another item that drew some attention were questions concerning the northeast corner of that Fourth and Story intersection. For quite some time now, there has been a brick building there occupied first by Northwestern Bell and lately by Century Link. But what was situated on that corner prior to that?
     Roy and Sue Woolsoncroft of Nevada wrote, "we believe there was a nice, brick home on that corner which was eventually moved to provide the location for a new telephone company building. The house was moved to the east side of Linn Street, directly south of Mamie Eisenhower Avenue."
     John McLeod added, "it was a beautiful brick home owned by a family named McBernie, I believe. It was fascinating to me what happened to that home. From my vantage point on the southeast corner of the intersection at Bob Highland's DX station, I watched as the house was jacked up and moved east on Mamie to its current location at 322 Linn Street. The old Johnstone home had occupied the entire southeast corner lot at Linn and Mamie prior to that. The lot was divided to accomodate the McBernie home's arrival. It was quite an experience to see a house get loaded up and literally "rolled" down the street. Tree limbs and overhead wires had to be dealt with. I'm not certain of the date and year but it happened in the early 50's."
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Yvonna (Vonnie) Mondt, 92, Boone. BHS-42. Married David Mondt in 1945. Was office manager at Percival Refrigeraton for 20 years. Survived by four daughters, Constance Jean, Carol Annette, Davi Enise and Denice Yvonne.........Marie Bass, 95, Jefferson. Boone area survivors include sons, Ron, Allen and Alvin all of Boone. Three other children survive.........Norman Newcomb, 83, Boone. BHS-52. Navy vet. For 30 years was a Program Planner for the DOT in Ames. Retired in 1996. Boone area survivors include his wife, Helen Carpenter Newcomb, and three children, sons Monte and Andy and daughter, Lori, all of Boone...........Rosella Hasstedt Morgan, 83, Des Moines/Ogden. Born in Boone County. Married Lowell Morgan and they farmed north of Ogden before starting Morgan Farm Equipment. Boone area survivors include her husband, Lowell, daughter-in-law, Lorie Morgan, sister, Rosalie Johnson, and brothers-in-law, Bob Morgan and Roy Coffman. Three children also survive.........Ken Barkwill, 92, Boone. Air Force vet. Married Mary Elizabeth Frederick in 1948 and moved to Boone in 1968. Became Building and Zoning official for the city of Boone in 1974 and retired in 1987. Was very active in the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. Boone area survivors include his wife, Mary, son, James, and daughter, Jean, all of Boone. Two other children also survive.........Philip Golding, 92, Clear Lake. Formerly of Boone. Army vet. Moved to Boone in 1963 when Phil took a job at Iowa State University. Retired in 1990. When his wife, Lola, passed away in 2009, he moved to Clear Lake. Survived by three sons and a daughter.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.