The Desert Inn and Restaurant (also known as Wilson's Corner) is a historic site in
Yeehaw Junction
Yeehaw Junction is a census-designated place (CDP) in central Florida in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 240. The area was confused with Buenaventura Lakes CDP in the 2000 census, and the cor ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is located at 5570 South
Kenansville Road, next to
SR 60. On January 3, 1994, it was added to the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
History
In the 1930s, the spot was originally named "Jackass Crossing," a reference to the burros that ranchers rode to Desert Inn.
As early as 1889, the Desert Inn was a bar room and brothel for cowboys and lumber workers. The Desert Inn did not have full-service water and electricity until 1978.
Throughout the years, the Desert Inn was used as a trading post, gas station, and dance hall. In 1994, after being added to the National Register of Historic Places, the unused rooms above the restaurant were converted into a modest museum that featured a bordello suite with red carpet, lace pillows and a swing.
The Desert Inn closed in June 2018.
In the early morning hours of December 22, 2019, a tractor trailer crashed into the side of the inn. The trailer jackknifed and photos show the roof of the inn collapsed onto the roof of the tractor trailer. The president of the Osceola County Historical Society, which owns and operated the Desert Inn, stated that a determination will be made if any part of the building can be saved pending a survey by a structural engineer. Fortunately, a few weeks prior, valuable artifacts from inside the Desert Inn were removed and put in their archives as part of a clean up day and restoration efforts.
Gallery
File:Yeehaw Junction Desert Inn01.jpg,
File:Desertinnyeehawjunction2.jpg,
File:Yeehaw Junction Desert Inn03.jpg,
File:Yeehaw Junction Desert Inn05.jpg,
File:Desert inn destroyed.jpg,
References
External links
Osceola County listingsa
National Register of Historic PlacesFlorida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs*
Osceola County markers*
Desert InnArchive of business's website
Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
Buildings and structures in Osceola County, Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Osceola County, Florida
Demolished buildings and structures in Florida
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