Here in Southern Florida, unlike the rest of a lot of the country, it is hard to find properties that were in existence before 1900. Especially those with a colorful past. In this case it would be the 1889 Desert Inn, sitting by itself on a busy intersection, trading post, saloon, motel, bordello, biker bar, restaurant. Located at the junction of Hiway 60 and 441 known as Yeehaw Junction, also known as and still referred by truckers as "Jackass Crossing" it had been listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1994.
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While I was running back and forth between the newly purchased BeeHouse and Fort Lauderdale, I made it a point to stop here for break, being halfway point, and more fun than the turnpike plaza. The rooms upstairs were said to be haunted, (laughter and footsteps were heard), and for years unwary out of state-ers would be seated at a special table, where half way through the meal the bartender would release via a long fishing line, a huge phony spider that would drop from the ceiling onto the table.
Well, all that came to an end just before Christmas, when one of the hundreds of trucks that pass this intersection went off the road and drove right into the building.
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Now, the owner had passed away a couple years ago, it was closed and it was willed to the county, was in process to be restored and opened again. The power was off, and the only thing illuminating this landmark at night was the single traffic light hanging in the intersection. The trucker said it was so dark, he didn't even realize he left the road. It looks like he just thought he was on the road until the headlights illuminated the structure, he stood on the brakes and the truck went through the place in a jacknifed position. When they pulled the truck out, the "bordello" room came crashing down.
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So...was there a power failure? No..the traffic light was operating. Was the power to the building off? I would at least have floodlights or a streetlamp nearby to keep it illuminated and visible. Was it not possible to leave the trailer, with its load of orange juice unloaded, until engineers could maybe position jacks to keep it from collapsing? Maybe I am not an engineer to decide that and if it was feasible and safe.
But I am somewhat angry, as more of Florida loses its history in some places, and that no one thought ahead to somehow protect this place.
But spend a few minutes at that location, and you can see that this was bound to happen.
but the cost may cover demolition. In my opinion though, they can still rebuild the facade. They say if more than half the building is damaged, it is condemned. The main part of the building, built before 1925, looks salvageable, part of the original trading post is still attached at back, you can see it in google street view. Also, there is still an antique gas pump, back when it was also a filling station, seen on right, in photos of news story link below, it fell over when the building collapsed.
It looks like an interesting place to stop, at least for coffee 
