The Ramada Inn on U.S. 41 North
In the early 1970s, Henderson welcomed one of its largest motel developments when construction began on a new Ramada Inn at 2044 U.S. 41 North. Announced in July 1972, the $1 million project was built on four acres beside the Holiday Inn and was scheduled for completion in May 1973.
The Ramada contained 120 guest rooms and was designed with a mansard roof and what its developers called a “French flair.” Its amenities included an Olympic-size swimming pool, a 115-seat restaurant, a 70-seat cocktail lounge, three connecting meeting rooms and parking for 250 automobiles. A period postcard promoted it as “The Inn Place to Go in the Tri-State Area.”
The project was expected to provide approximately 75 full- and part-time jobs, create an annual payroll of $300,000 and contribute about $20,000 each year in local taxes. When completed, it increased Henderson’s total number of hotel and motel rooms to 554.
The inn also became a dining and entertainment destination. Its Candlelite Room advertised French cuisine, while the Quail & Ale Lounge featured live performers, including the Las Vegas act Dave and Russ with “Katie,” along with organ music by Marvin Walker.
With its restaurant, lounge, pool and meeting facilities, the Ramada Inn represented a new generation of roadside hospitality along Henderson’s busy U.S. 41 corridor.
Sources: Evansville Courier and Press, July 2, 1972; Evansville Press, January 31, 1973; period Ramada Inn advertisement and postcard.
