By Parker Anderson

Saxton L. Power was a prominent Prescott businessman in the mid-20^th century. His influence in town was most notable on East Gurley Street, though Prescott was much smaller at the time, and the area was simply referred to in advertisements as part of East Highway 89.

In December 1948, Saxton Power and his wife Bertie opened the Auto Rest Motor Hotel at what would later become 1117 East Gurley. With 21 rooms, tiled showers and steam heat, Auto Rest was regarded as a luxurious motel for its era, and it was advertised in statewide newspapers. The Powers also opened an Auto Rest Dining Room next door, along with the Monte Vista Coffee Shop.

In 1952 the Powers sold the Auto Rest motel and dining rooms to their son Stanley and his wife Virginia. It became prominent enough that, in the 1950s and 1960s, various conventions meeting in Prescott headquartered at Auto Rest. Groups like Pilot International (an air pilots’ group), and the Arizona Federation of Junior Women’s Clubs were among the groups headquartering their meetings and conventions at Auto Rest Motor Hotel.

In the 1960s, Auto Rest became part of the famed Best Western motel chain and stayed a member until the Prescottonian Motel (farther up East Gurley Street) opened around 1970. Auto Rest was also involved with horse racing at Prescott Downs, sponsoring an Auto Rest Motor Hotel Purse.

A number of managers came and went at Auto Rest in the 1960s, though it appears Stanley and Virginia Power retained ownership. By 1970 they had changed the name of the dining room next door to Sunset Hills Restaurant. They also operated the nearby Dairy Queen and Burger Queen fast food restaurants.

Auto Rest received some unwanted publicity in 1972 when a 23-year-old guest drowned in the motel’s swimming pool. Later that year, two motels—Auto Rest and Sierra Motel—were robbed of color television sets, blankets and linens.

In the 1970s, Auto Rest erected a large neon sign with flashing lights and a new trademark, a car with a smiling face. At night, when the lights came on, they flashed in a manner that looked like the car was winking. The smiling car trademark became an iconic part of East Gurley Street, and Prescott residents who were children at the time have fond memories of it. The car trademark was also used on matchbooks that Auto Rest gave out.

In the mid-1980s, Auto Rest was sold, and new owners took down all the signage, renaming it the Senator Inn. This reflected an overall economic decline in the neighborhood at the time, with Senator Inn and the rest of the area developing a reputation for being run-down and “lower end.”  In recent years, the area has recovered somewhat.

Saxton L. Power passed away in 1975, with his wife Bertie following him in death in 1989. His son Stanley passed away in 1991, with Stanley’s wife Virginia passing in 2021. 

Today, little remains of the Power family’s influence in this part of town. The site of Auto Rest is hardly recognizable. In recent years, the complex was used for housing by the group “U.S. Vets,” and today it is reportedly used for student housing with no signage. The buildings that housed Sunset Hills Restaurant, the Dairy Queen and Burger Queen were completely razed in 2025.

The federal government officially adopted the numbered highway system plan in 1926, making this year its 100th anniversary. We can also celebrate the 99th anniversary since the Arizona State Highway Commission approved the federal plan, creating Prescott’s former U.S. Highway 89, which would support iconic businesses like the Auto Rest Motor Hotel.

“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1 The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.