1951: Rob Warburton Started the Home Ranch Filling Station, Cabins, Restaurant and Bar

Home Ranch Gas Station, Cabins, Restaurant and Bar

Page by Bob Leathers with contributions from Gary McKenzie and Randy Shipman

Highway 30 was moved out of Hanna, to a new location one mile north of Elmo and Hanna in 1951. Rob Warburton opened a gas station, motel cabins, cafe and bar near the roadway in the early 1950's.

In 1950-51, The highway department relocated a short stretch of U.S. 30. The road was relocated from the center of town to a point about one mile south of the town’s edge. When U.S. 30 was realigned near Hanna, a few business owners relocated their enterprises to the new road just south of town. Among them was Rob Warburton, who opened the Home Ranch just east of the new Junction. The Home Ranch was a twelve-unit motel with a cafe, bar and a few gas pumps. (Snow Chi Minh Trail - The History of Interstate 80 between Laramie and Walcott Junction by Richard Waggener)

1959

1961

Home Ranch Bar, Cafe and Motel on Highway 30 (1961 Hanna Miner)

The Silver Cabins at Elmo were moved from Elmo to the Home Ranch and became the Home Ranch motel.

Silver Cabins. Elmo. Not Dated. (Terri (Siltamaki) Schreihart) 1

1962

Home Ranch Cafe. Iva and Jergen Johnson. Jan. 1962. (The Pioneer, Jan. 1962)

1965

The image below shows Rob Warburton standing at the entry door to the gas station. The motel office is located in the middle and the cafe to the far right.

The Home Ranch (1965 Hanna Miner)

1969 - 1970

Home Ranch. Hanna. (Gary McKenzie Collection)

The Home Ranch

Rob Warburton, Hank While, Mike Shurter and me when we worked there during the 1969-1970 school years. We worked two shifts- one with Rob in the morning and one with Hank of afternoons till closing. Mike and I traded shifts every other week. Mike was my best friend. So many stories and memories working there. Rob had to haul water in his tank truck from the Hanna reservoir to the Home Ranch daily, sometimes twice a day for the station and motel. Iva Johnson at the cafe had to do the same. The last time I saw Rob was when Chas, Danny Sanchez and I stopped at his house during an all school reunion in 1991 / 1992. We visited with him and Tillie, and Trudy was there, so we caught up with her also. We always thought Trudy was great, and Rob was always like a dad to me and Mike. (Gary McKenzie)