Everhome Suites (first hotel) being built at Hitching Post Plaza
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| Everhome Suites hotel on W Lincolnway, seen at the end of 2023 - Optopolis |
After much time following the point at which the long-since-vacant-and-abandoned Hitching Post Inn was demolished, the now-named Hitching Post Plaza is finally seeing some progress on redevelopment! One of the planned hotels, Everhome Suites, is already well into the process of and quickly being built. Here's a look at the history of the Hitching Post Inn/Lincoln Court Motel, and the current status of Everhome Suites.
A glance at the rich history of the Hitching Post and Lincoln Court Motel
Cheyenne's Hitching Post Inn has a lot of history in this city to the point that most residents likely have some story or thing they know about the place, and even many non-residents will know a thing or two about it.
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| The Hitching Post Inn Sign seen back in 2020 with no graffiti - Optopolis |
Although a large portion of the former Hitching Post Inn had been demolished by the year 2020, at the time, the Laramie County Property Assessor GIS map noted that the three remaining buildings still standing were built in approximately 1955. The history of the land goes farther back, however, with the motel being built in the 1920s--in a similar time frame to the nearby Atlas Motel (which itself is now also being replaced by a new hotel, link coming soon).
The motel used to be known as the Lincoln Court motel, as signage on a building seen in a negative from around 1950 confirms. Although it was later known as the Hitching Post, a Lincoln Court Motel sign (pictured below) could still be seen near the motel as recently as 2007.
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| Lincoln Court Motel sign seen in 2007 - Google Maps Street View |
Throughout the years, the Lincoln Court/Hitching Post Inn would be used for loads of different events and by loads of different people including state legislators; as such and as noted in Cowboy State Daily's article on this topic, the Hitching Post became known as Wyoming's second capitol.
Cowboy State Daily also mentioned how many well known people stayed at the hotel, giving the examples of movie stars Christopher Walken and Jeff Bridges; and people who "were or became US presidents...[including] Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Dwight [D.] Eisenhower, and Richard Nixon."
Photos from the state archives reveal that the "Hitching Post" was a name used for the restaurant at the Lincoln Court Motel--seen as Hitching Post Fine Foods in 1950; the restaurant was opened in 1948 according to a Wyoming Tribune Eagle quote on a blog called Lincoln Highway News; "As more and more rooms were added, the name stuck."
A 1983 Cheyenne city directory notes several names at the location of the "Hitching Post Inn" including the name-brand "Motor Inn & Restaurant," "Coffee Shop," "Barber Shop," and "Bar & Lounge." Even in more recent times, the Hitching Post's sign boldly advertised "Restaurant Lounge" on the retro self-standing sign along W Lincolnway.
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| Hitching Post Inn Restaurant Lounge sign seen in 2007 - Google Maps Street View |
A large part of the Hitching Post on the east side of the land was demolished between 2006 and 2007 as confirmed by Google Earth and Google Maps Street View. This land would later be used by Fairfield Inn & Suites (in 2016) and TownePlace Suites (in 2014), both hotels by Marriott along Grant Rd.
Trade offs, fire, remodel, and closing for the final time
Way back when, one could see "AAA" on the buildings including on this photo from around 1950 when the Lincoln Court name was still more prominent and this photo that displays "AAA" on the Hitching Post Cafe sign. For a long time as well, Best Western was the name advertised on the Hitching Post Inn.
Best Western's branding could be seen in 2007 Google Maps Street View, and it could be seen on an advertisement billboard photographed in 1969. Perhaps ecrater's Sheila Dee's Postcards describes it best, "The [Hitching Post] Inn was a member of AAA and a member of 'The Best Western Motels.'"
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| Best Western signage seen on the restaurant/lounge building in 2007. Ramada's sign could be seen here on the building in 2009. - Google Maps Street View |
For at least a period of time more recently, the Hitch was named the Ramada Hitching Post Motor Inn, and Ramada's branding could be seen on the Hitching Post in 2009. By early 2010, the hotel had closed as noted in a blog post from One Man's Alaska, but this would only be the start of the end of the Hitching Post.
In September 2010, a fire broke out at the Hitching Post Inn, burning the restaurant portion of the Hitching Post to the ground. The fire was going so strong that, at times, one could not see through the haze of smoke that hovered around W Lincolnway while the fire raged. As of 2012 according to DeseretNews, a federal lawsuit alleged that the cause of the fire was arson. Later in 2013, KRQE noted that the man who set the fire was sentenced to five to six years in prison under a plea deal. In 2015, the then-owner pleaded guilty to insurance fraud.
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| The restaurant/lounge building seen in 2007 that would catch fire in 2010 - Google Maps street View |
DeseretNews' article mentioned that the Hitching Post was in the process of being remodeled at the time, and there is something to this as confirmed by permits submitted between 2009 and 2010, seen in the Cheyenne City Planning website.When searching "Hitching Post" in the permits section of the website, the earliest item listed is "Hitching Post Kitchen Remodel" submitted on 02/24/2009.
More permits would be submitted in 2010 for work on the Hitching Post including a "Demo Commercial" permit submitted in June 2010 that would be intended for the demolition of the connecting corridor "between hotel buildings 1-2 and 5-4" due to apparent damage from a "water main pipe breakage."
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| Buildings 1 and 2 seen in early 2020 - Optopolis |
There was a "Restaurant/Bars Remodel/Addition" permit submitted 06/16/2010 that included "interior repairs" regarding "code violations." Another one classified as "Hotel/Motel Remodel/Addition" was submitted 08/25/2010 for "replacement of selected windows and countertops in building #4."
In spite of the September 2010 fire discussed above, the work on the Hitching Post would continue after the fire was put out. Several permits would be submitted between November and December 2010, including a "Hotel/Motel Remodel/Addition" permit that details work associated with a new lobby restroom in building 4 and the completion of the building 4 guests' rooms.
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| Buildings 3 and 4 of the Hitching Post (seen in 2017) - Google Maps Street View |
In January 2011, two noteworthy permits were submitted. One was for the demolition of the then-fire-damaged main Hitching Post building, and the other was for remodel work of building 3. Another noteworthy permit submitted 07/18/2011 included the remodel of room 245 in building 5 for a laundry room.
This all leads to a point in late 2011 when Google Maps Street View would be captured in September 2011; the restaurant and lounge had been demolished with directory signs posted, indicating that the hotel was now open. A YouTube video called "A Tour of the Hitching Post Inn" posted in December 2012 showed what it looked like to visit the hotel after opening in the new format.
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| "Hotel Now Open" sign displayed in the are of the then-demo'd restaurant/lounge, seen in 2011 - Google Maps Street View |
The new and condensed hotel appeared to still be active as of July 2017, but it didn't have much time left. Buildings 1 and 2 (the building nearest to W Lincolnway) were already discretely fenced off, and the back parking lot behind buildings 5 and 6 was blocked by a wooden fence.
The Hitching Post's lights and water were both cut off around the start of September 2017. This left the future of the Hitching Post uncertain, though with desire to demolish the building and eventually revitalize the land.
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| A chair seen "just chilling" next to a mostly boarded-off guest room in early 2020 - Optopolis |
Even more fires and pandemonium
One may think that this was basically the end of the Hitching Post; surely, things couldn't possibly get any worse and/or keep happening, right? No, the story keeps going. At least two smaller fires happened over the next two years--December 17, 2018 and August 20, 2019 respectively--the Wyoming News Now article noting that Mayor Marion Orr had declared the property condemned in December 2018.
By the end of 2019, things were finally starting to inch toward a positive twist when the City of Cheyenne was planning to, "purchase a 4.82 acre portion of the land," which included interest in removing the asbestos contained within the remaining buildings. In the following couple years, not much seemed to happen with the Hitching Post.
But wait, here we go again. In January 2021, the Hitching Post caught on fire, yet again. This fire took place mainly in what makes up buildings 5 and 6 as well as the bridge to buildings 3 and 4 (where the most recent hotel lobby was located).
The fire was raging early in the morning of January 15th, 2021 as seen in Bryan Austin's YouTube video, and continued to rage throughout the day as seen in Standby News' video (embedded above). The building was later deemed unsafe and ordered to be demolished--four of the buildings within 180 days of the notice and a fifth one within 200 days.
Demolition + Plans finally begin gaining traction
In September 2021, things were--for once--appearing to actually take a turn for the better. Cap City News posted an article discussing the plans as well as sharing an artist's rendering of a concept map, provided by Swagger Construction. It shows plans for a steakhouse, bank, coffee restaurant, hotel, 3-story parking garage, additional retail store fronts, multifamily residential buildings, a mixed use anchor, some kind of office space, and even a walk-able plaza in the midst of many of the buildings.
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| View of the area in Dec 2021, only buildings 1-2 are still standing - Google Maps Street View |
By December 2021, all the buildings in the rear had been demolished, leaving only one building (technically two buildings) to be demolished--the nearest one to W Lincolnway that was still left behind. By sometime in 2022, the remaining building had been demolished.
The plans included renaming the area "Hitching Post Plaza," and the sign is expected to be preserved in an effort to have a reminder of the area's history.
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| Hitching Post Inn sign as of the end of 2023 - Optopolis |
Finally! New hotel coming; Everhome Suites breaks ground
Choice Hotels posted in mid-December 2023 that they had broken ground on a brand new hotel called Everhome Suites. It is set to be a four-story, 114-room hotel, and the post states that it is being developed by HighSide Companies.
Located at 1700 W Lincolnway just east of the TownePlace Suites by Marriott, the foundation of the building was going in as of mid-November 2023, and as of December 30th 2023, the framework for the third floor was already being built.
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| The new Everhome Suites building seen in late December 2023 - Optopolis |
Although the Everhome Suites banner is new to Cheyenne, Choice Hotels already has hotels in Cheyenne including Comfort Suites on Walker Rd, Quality Inn on Etchepare Dr, Rodeway Inn on I-80 east, and Comfort Inn & Suites on W Fox Farm Rd.
Cowboy State Daily mentioned that the new Everhome Suites hotel is expected to open by the end of 2024; unlike other hotels, it is set to have fully equipped kitchens, spa-style bathrooms with large closets, and other aspects that may simply not be offered in your average hotel.
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| An Everhome Suites hotel in Curona, California - Google Maps Street View |
Studying the site plans, elevation views, and other files within the projects section (Project# UDC-22-00411) of the Cheyenne City Planning Website, the hotel will occupy "Lot 1" which is about 2.25 acres or 97,809 square feet. The sidewalk along W Lincolnway is displayed as being offset from the roadway, and it is planned to have a width of 6 feet.
The elevation views indicate that the building will use a mainly gray color scheme on the exterior walls, made up of several materials/textures including cultured stone, fiber cement/nichiha vintagewood, and stucco (EIFS).
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| Temporary sign on W Lincolnway that displays "Lots Available." - Optopolis |
There are currently plans beginning to be put in place for more tenants in the area of the Hitching Post Plaza although ground has not broken for other buildings as of this time. Optopolis is currently waiting for more information to come available and things to progress further to share more details on the area.
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