Little America Wyoming Tourist Packet - 1930's or early 40's

Description

Little America Tourist Packet
Items include:
1 - Covey Gas & Oil Co. envelope (4-1/8" x 9-3/8")
1 - Celluloid Penguin Charm   (1-3/8" high x 7/8" wide) - Difficult to make out, but the letters on the belly of the penguin appear to read "LITTLE AMERICA WYOMING"
1 -  Legend of Little America - 2 pages  (6-1/4" high x 4-1/2" wide)  -  1 vertical fold throughout for it to fit into envelope
1 -  LITTLE AMERICA sticker? Without adhesive (2" high x 5-3/8" wide)
1 -  Postcard - "BUSY PERSON'S CORRESPONDENCE CARD - TIME IS MONEY - CHECK ITEMS DESIRED"  (3-1/2" high x 5-1/2"' x  wide)
4 - Postcards - "COVEY ENTERPRISES" (3-3/8" x 9-3/8")
There are no dates on any of these items. Robert Earl Holding purchased the properties from Stephen Mack Covey in 1952 and created Grand America Hotels and Resorts that continue to this day. The smaller postcard has a 1 cent rate. The larger postcards are at 1-1/2 to 3 cents (larger size?)
Postcard rates (regular-sized?) were @ 1 cent from 1928 to 1952 - @ 2 cents from 1952 - 1959 & @ 3 cents from 1959-1963.
Based on the original building images on the larger postcards and the other items (not connected with Little America) found with the packet, I
estimate
the date of these items to be between 1935-1942. I cannot confirm that the packet is complete to its original form or that some of the items weren't apart of the original packet.
Covey's Little America was started in 1934 by Stephen Mack Covey (1869-1959) as a small gas station-motel-cafe.
Covey claimed that he was inspired to provide to start his operation when about 40 years before as a sheep herder he spent a night out in the area when it was 40 below. He vowed then that someday he would return and provide an oasis for those caught out in the area.
On one of his placemats he later explained:
"Away back in the nineties when I was a youngster and herding sheep in this dreary section of Wyoming, I became lost in a raging northeast blizzard and was forced to 'Lay Out' all night at this exact place where Little American now stands. that long January night in that terrible storm, with a fifty mile wind and the temperature about 40 below passed very, very slowly, and oh, how I longed fro a warm fire side, something to eat and wool blankets. I though what a blessing it would be if some good soul would built a house of shelter of some kind on that god-forsaken spot. Many times in my heart I've promised one there . . and even dreamed it. A few years ago when I saw Admiral Byrd's photos of "Little America" in Antarctica and his isolation so many miles from his base of supplies it reminded me of my experience in that Nor'easter. The thought came back to me to fulfill that promise to erect a monument and have of refuge on the spot of my harrowing experience. The name , of course, was a natural 'LITTLE AMERICA' . . . A promise kept . . . A dream come true."
In January 1929, Admiral Byrd (1888-1957) established "Little America" as an outpost on the Antarctic continent. And few years after the Wyoming blizzard experience, Covey saw Admiral Byrd's photos of that "Little America" base camp used while exploring the South Pole.
The Admiral's isolation inspired Covey to erect a monument and create a refuge on the spot of his "harrowing experience" in Wyoming. Hence, Covey called his refuge for motorists, "Little America." [reference: Lincoln Highway-Little America ]
So Covey's Little America was born in 1934 by Stephen Mack Covey (1869-1959) as a small gas station-motel-cafe.   Originally, the owners wanted a penguin as their live mascot. But their chosen penguin, Emperor, died during the journey from Antarctica to Boston. Making the best of a bad situation, Little America had the penguin stuffed and shipped anyway.
The original operation was destroyed by fire in 1949, and the present Little America went up a few miles to the southeast, on a busier stretch of U.S. 30 that became an even more desirable location when 1-80 replaced that road. Although a private business, not a town, Little America is on most highway maps.
View more great items