In the earliest days of Edmonds, overland travel was slow and uncertain. The famous Puget Sound "Mosquito Fleet" of steamboats provided the first fast and reliable transport to Edmonds in the late 1800s. When the railroad initiated passenger service in 1910 with twelve trains a day, land-based travel became much more convenient. However, it was the growth in private car ownership and the development of a network of roads, highways, and auto ferries that spurred a population boom for Edmonds and the surrounding communities in the middle of the 20th century.
One of Edmonds' most prominent pioneers, A.M. Yost, was the first Edmonds resident to purchase an automobile, in June of 1911. Yost and his family demonstrated their faith in this new form of transportation by founding the Yost Auto Company at 5th Ave South and Dayton St in 1913.
The Phillips Motor Court was constructed by Donald Phillips in 1941 to serve motorists passing through Edmonds, offering not just a place for a weary traveler to sleep, but also a garage to keep the family car warm and dry. The buildings are now apartments.