Monmouth, IL
A Monmouth landmark will soon disappear, bringing an end to the era of a family restaurant and motel that began as a stand selling soft serve ice cream.

Meling's grew from an ice cream stand into a motel and family restaurant in Monmouth. Now an empty shell, the Meling's building will be demolished to make way for a new AmericInn hotel at the intersection of U.S. 34 and 67. A new restaurant and retail outlet also are planned for the corner.

Petersen Health Care, a Peoria-based company, plans to demolish the building and start construction on the new hotel.

The demolition of Meling's was expected to start today, said Tim Brown of Brown Excavating, the company handling the job.

First, the demolition will be centered on a house that's on the property and then work down the south wing of the old motel, he said.

"It's going to start today," Brown said at about 9 a.m. today.

Petersen officials could not be reached Tuesday.

The company bought the building from Magan Patel and J.J. Patel of the Chicago area in December 2005, months after the motel shuttered the preceding August. For Bob Meling of Monmouth, the memories will last longer than the building. His father, Clarence Meling, started the business in 1954, which was called Meling's Dairy Mart.

From there, it expanded. After the dairy mart gained business, he added a dining room that could seat 26. Between 1959 and 1961, motel units were added.

Bob Meling didn't start working at the family-run business until after a new restaurant facility was finished in 1964.

At the grand opening, the special was all-you-can-eat fried chicken for $1.45.

Regular menu items included a beef tenderloin steak dinner for $2.25. If diners wanted something a little easier on the wallet, they could order a grilled hamburger steak dinner for $1.50.

Clarence Meling, who died in 2004, had plans that even his son doubted.

Bob Meling was living in Seattle and his father called him and told him a goal for Meling's: to serve 1,000 people on Easter Sunday.

"I said, 'Dad, that's impossible,' " Meling said.

As it turned out, Clarence Meling was off by a couple hundred - Meling's served 1,200 people.

Bob Meling decided to move to Monmouth and work at the family business. His job was to manage the 75-80 staff members.

The Meling family ran the hotel and restaurant until 1976, when they leased out the restaurant. Meling said he loved the restaurant but wanted more of a family life without the demands of the restaurant.

"It's hard to have a good family life, and that's what we wanted to have," he said.

In 1982, the restaurant and motel were both sold.

Others have memories of Meling's, too. Ralph Whiteman of Monmouth remembers Gracie Peterson, a local pianist, playing in the restaurant's dining room.

Peterson would play some special music for guests sometimes. For instance, if Monmouth College graduates walked in, Peterson played some college songs.

"People looked forward to seeing her playing in the dining room," Whiteman said.

Eileen Loya, a longtime Monmouth resident, said Meling's was a popular place - for the locals and visitors from out of town.

"Everybody stayed at Meling's," she said. "That was the place. We just didn't have anything else in Monmouth and it was very special to have a motel that had food accommodations at the same time."

As for Meling, he said the new hotel, with its location at the intersection of U.S. 34 and 67, should be successful. Although the building of his former business will disappear, he said the time is right.

"It's been an eyesore for a fair number of months and it's time for it to go," Meling said. "All things have to pass."

Originally published online here: http://www.register-mail.com/stories/101806/MAI_BB982FIT.GID.shtml