King Tower Cafe

The King Tower Historic District in Tama, Iowa is a one-stop roadside complex built by Wes Mansfield on the Lincoln Highway, combining a gas station, tourist court, and diner into a single destination for motorists. The vernacular-style gas station and cafe were built in 1937, followed by eighteen tourist cabins the next year. The complex illustrates the era when small roadside businesses offered food, fuel, auto repair, and lodging in one place, just before national chain operations reshaped highway travel. The diner and gas station building, along with a cool Indian head sign and one surviving tourist cabin, remain today. King Tower Cafe closed in 2020, but the site remains a tangible example of early Lincoln Highway services. - AsNotedIn