Desert Inn and Restaurant

The Desert Inn and Restaurant (also known as Wilson's Corner) is a historic site in Yeehaw Junction, Florida, United States. It is located at 5570 South Kenansville Road, next to SR 60. On January 3, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

This article is about the hotel in Yeehaw Junction, Florida. For the defunct hotel and casino in Las Vegas, see Desert Inn.
Desert Inn and Restaurant
Desert Inn and Restaurant is located in Florida
Desert Inn and Restaurant
Desert Inn and Restaurant is located in the United States
Desert Inn and Restaurant
LocationOsceola County, Florida, USA
Nearest cityYeehaw Junction, Florida
Coordinates27°42′0″N 80°54′18″W
NRHP reference No.93001158[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 3, 1994
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History

In the 1930s, the spot was originally named "Jackass Crossing," a reference to the burros that ranchers rode to Desert Inn.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

The Desert Inn closed in June 2018.[3]

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.[4][5][6] 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.[7]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Yeehaw Junction makes historic halfway point on scenic Florida travel road trips". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  3. Rob Rushin (February 23, 2019). "My Florida: Yeehaw Junction. The extinction of Florida's most beloved brothel (and its burgers)". Flamingo.
  4. "Tractor trailer crashes into Desert Inn and Restaurant in Yeehaw Junction". West Palm Beach: WPTV. December 22, 2019.
  5. Marino, Sara (22 December 2019). "Part of historic Desert Inn Bar and Restaurant collapses after semi-trailer truck hits building, FHP reports". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Gannett. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  6. Marino, Sara (22 December 2019). "Part of historic Desert Inn near Orlando collapses after semitrailer hits building". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Gannett. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  7. "Owners say historic inn at Yeehaw Junction may be demolished". West Palm Beach: CBS12. December 23, 2019.


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