Randles still stands - Randles Court continues to welcome guests thanks to a commitment to preservation

Randles Court and Coffee Shop are shown during the 1960s, when the property remained a popular stop along U.S. Highway 54. By this time, the complex had evolved beyond its origins as Boots Cottage Court and included a coffee shop, motel accommodations, and a laundromat that served both travelers and local residents. The property continued to benefit from Lake of the Ozarks tourism during the postwar travel boom, helping establish Randles Court as one of Eldon's best-known roadside landmarks. Courtesy of Randles Court

Editorial note: This is the final of two articles about the history of Randles Court in Eldon.
 
When Lloyd and Helen Boots divorced in 1947, it marked the end of one chapter in the history of Boots Cottage Court and the beginning of another.

On May 15, 1947, the Eldon Advertiser published a legal notice stating that Helen Boots had resumed her maiden name, Helen Randles, by order of the Miller County Circuit Court. Around the same time, the landmark motel along Highway 54 became known as Randles Court. Although Lloyd Boots would remarry, develop additional motel properties, operate a drive-in restaurant in Iowa and eventually settle in Marshall, Missouri, Helen remained in Eldon and continued operating the business they had built together.

A 1954 marriage announcement published in the Eldon Advertiser confirmed her status as owner of the property. Reporting on her marriage to Kenneth C. Rains of Grand Island, Nebraska, the newspaper described Helen as "the owner of Randles Court in Eldon which was opened in 1931."
The statement reflected more than ownership. It highlighted Helen's role in guiding the motel through the postwar tourism boom while America was changing rapidly.

The years following World War II witnessed an explosion in automobile ownership and family vacations. The Lake of the Ozarks continued attracting visitors from across the Midwest, and Highway 54 remained one of the primary routes serving the region. Randles Court benefited from the growth. Travelers heading to the lake found comfortable accommodations, personal service and a familiar roadside landmark. The property evolved beyond the original cottage court and became known for both lodging and dining.

The Randles Coffee Shop and Restaurant became a popular stop for travelers and local residents alike. Together, the coffee shop and motel formed a recognizable destination for those entering Eldon from the north on Highway 54. The business prospered during an era when family-owned motor courts dominated American travel. Yet change was inevitable.

A fire on Dec. 20, 1962, damaged three units at Randles Court. The blaze was confined primarily to attic areas and several rooms, but the newspaper coverage provided an important glimpse into the property's ownership history. Robert Keasler of Keasler Associates, Inc., told the Eldon Advertiser that his company now owned and managed the court.

In previous years, ownership had passed from Helen and Kenneth Rains. In Kenneth Rains' obituary, it was noted that he and Helen moved from Eldon to Springfield in 1964, where they operated the Cloud Drift Motel. The obituary noted that they "formerly had Randles Court here."

The years that followed remain somewhat murky. According to Jennifer Hart, there were several owners during roughly the next decade before the property entered what would become one of its longest ownership periods.

"My husband's family bought it in 1973," Hart explained. "There were some different owners over about a ten-year period before my husband's aunt and uncle bought it."

Those relatives were Chester and Donna Presta. The Prestas arrived in Eldon during a period of significant change in American travel. The interstate highway system was transforming the nation. Chain motels increasingly dominated the lodging industry and independently owned roadside courts were disappearing.

Somehow, Randles Court managed to weather these difficult times. The Prestas operated the property for more than four decades, preserving a landmark that had already become part of Eldon's identity. While many similar properties were demolished or modernized beyond recognition, Randles Court retained much of its historic character.

But the motel's history was not without challenges. Highway 54 changed dramatically. The two-lane road that once carried a steady stream of tourists past the motel was widened, expanded and rerouted. The roadside attraction that had once depended upon passing motorists no longer occupied the same strategic position it enjoyed during the era of Lloyd Boots and Helen Randles.
         
After Chester Presta died and Donna continued operating the property, the motel remained a familiar landmark along what had become Business 54. When Donna died in 2011, the property was slated to be sold. The next chapter began with a family connection.

Jeremy Hart had long been familiar with the property through his relationship to the Prestas. Jennifer Hart had worked with the business and understood both its history and potential.

"We bought it in 2017 and it needed a lot of repair and maintenance," Jennifer recalled.

The timing could hardly have been worse. Just days before the scheduled closing, a fire destroyed the restaurant building and damaged portions of the motel. Many prospective buyers would have walked away but the Harts moved forward.

Rather than viewing the aging property as a liability, they saw an opportunity to preserve one of Missouri's surviving motor courts. Then another disaster struck.

In May 2019, a tornado tore through Eldon, damaging the motel, destroying windows, damaging roofs and toppling the iconic neon sign. Repair costs exceeded $200,000. Once again, the Harts refused to give up. Their efforts focused not merely on repairing the property but on preserving its history.

One example is found in Room 10, known today as the Jackson Bray Room. Bray worked at the service station that once formed part of the original Boots Cottage Court complex, while his future wife worked in the café. According to Jennifer Hart, the two met while working there, creating a personal connection that remains part of the property's story.

The restoration effort continues room by room.

"Six rooms are completely restored and operational and restored in an antique, vintage style," Hart said. "There are 15 rooms in the front. In the back there are four rooms in what we call the villa that have kitchenettes, TVs and are more modern."

The work remains ongoing and Jennifer Hart explained that the effort represents more than operating a business.

"This place brings me a lot of joy," she said. "I love seeing the property get restored but it takes a lot of money to cover insurance and property taxes, which means rooms need to be rented to pay for it all. But we have a growing list of people coming to stay here and as long as that is the case, we'll keep doing this."

Her words highlight challenges facing historic properties throughout America. Unlike museums, places such as Randles Court must continue functioning as businesses while preserving the past. Every occupied room helps maintain the buildings, preserve the neon sign and ensure that future generations can experience a piece of Missouri's roadside heritage.

Today, the highway travelers once relied upon has changed. The roadside attraction that flourished during the era of two-lane roads, service stations and family cafés has largely disappeared. What remains is the memory. Thanks to the efforts of Jeremy and Jennifer Hart, that memory is still alive.

Nearly a century after Lloyd Boots recognized the promise of a new lake and a growing highway system, Randles Court continues to welcome guests. Through fires, ownership changes, highway realignments, economic shifts and natural disasters, the historic motor court has endured.

Randles Court stands today not simply as an old motel, but as a living reminder of the people, businesses and dreams that helped shape Missouri's highway history.
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Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the upcoming historical compilation “Voices of the Moreau.”        
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The restored Randles Court neon sign stands as a reminder of the golden age of American highway travel. Originally erected during the property's mid-century years, the sign greeted generations of motorists traveling U.S. Highway 54 on their way to and from the Lake of the Ozarks. Damaged by a tornado in 2019, the landmark was carefully restored by owners Jeremy and Jennifer Hart as part of their ongoing effort to preserve one of Missouri's oldest surviving motor courts. Courtesy of Randles Court