The History of the Penny Motel
The Penny Motel has been a part of Deadwood since 1950. Previous to that, in the 1940’s it was the Sunnyside Fruit and Meat market, which served the people of Upper Main Street in Deadwood. It was owned by Emroy W. Rosburg, known locally as “Squeek”. At the close of the 40’s, with his wife Neva expecting the delivery of his first child, Squeek decided to expand the building adding a motel to the small grocery. When his wife delivered his daughter, he carted a wheel-barrow of pennies to the Deadwood hospital to pay for the delivery and named his child Penny, naming the new motel after his daughter as well. Although the motel has gone through some changes over the years, it has always been known as The Penny Motel.
The Sunnyside Fruit & Meat Market circa 1948
The Sunnyside Market after a large snow (typical for Deadwood)
The Sunnyside Market & Penny Motel
Penny, the motel's namesake