Nine rooms one two-story owner’s house and one dry cleaner’s That’s the Pioneer Motel in Brookfield. Right here on Ogden Avenue. It wasn’t always the Pioneer though. It began life in 1950 as Lipka’s Friendly Motel. Aldrich Lipka owned it. He also owned the gas station next door. Lipka’s Friendly Service Station. Lipka built the motel because visitors to the Brookfield Zoo needed a place to stay. The closest lodging was in La Grange. It was quite limited.
The motel cost about $30000 to build. In 1955 it got a new name. The Pioneer Motel. It advertised showers radiant heating and Beautyrest mattresses. Just twelve miles to the Loop. Guests could even get their cars serviced next door. Later rooms were advertised as air-conditioned with TVs. Curiously ads never mentioned the zoo connection.
Today the Pioneer is owned by Kashmira Shah. She bought it from S B Patel who owned it for 15 to 20 years. Next door sits Prehop Dry Cleaners. That’s where Lipka’s service station used to be. The Pioneer has quite a history. It’s seen a lot of changes. It’s still going strong today offering cable TV. It’s a real piece of Brookfield history. A reminder of simpler times. When travelers needed a comfortable place to rest their heads. After a long day’s journey.