Dwight Texaco: Ambler’s Texaco in Dwight, Ill. was built in 1933 and was operated for over 30 years by Basil Ambler. It continued to operate as a gas station until 1999 when it was sold to Phillip Becker who used the facility for an auto repair shop. In 2002, Becker donated the property to the town of Dwight. The station was restored and is now a visitor center for the community. The design of the structure was intended to be inviting to travelers and included residential windows and flower boxes. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Soulsby Shell: The Soulsby Shell station was built in Mount Olive, Ill. in 1926 by Russell Soulsby and his father. He operated the Shell station with his sister Ola for 65 years until 1991. The station was restored in 2009. This station is another example of a ‘house with a canopy’ design similar to the station in Dwight, Ill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

Everyone enjoys a good long road trip! Well, almost everyone. There are some that would prefer to fly or make other arrangements when traveling.

Road trips allow travelers the freedom to sit back and enjoy their play list of favorite travel tunes or the music of their choice. Others enjoy visiting different regions of the country to experience the chance of scenery or experience local culture.

Some travelers enjoy eating out at regional cafes and restaurants to experience their favorites. New Mexico certainly draws this crowd because where else are you going to New Mexico green and red chile? Red or green? You will almost never hear those words when ordering a meal outside of New Mexico.

Another group of travelers may enjoy regional architecture as they pass through towns along their route. This Post From the Road will look at some architectural variations along a specific route; the old gas stations along U.S. Historic Route 66.

There are several of the old stations in each state as one travels from Chicago, Ill. to Los Angeles, Calif. along the historic highway. For this post I will feature  former stations in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas.

I have traveled and photographed most of Historic Route 66 over the last four years but I still have a couple of gaps that I haven’t covered yet. I’m always anxious to travel the “Mother Road” again.

The gas stations, or service stations, of yesteryear are dramatically different than the gigantic travels centers we see along the road today.

They were called service stations and they provided service such as washing your windshield, checking the oil and other tasks while the gas pumped to fill up your tank. In the 1950s and 60s I recall the bell that rang as you drove up to the pumps to alert workers that a customer had arrived. I can still hear those bells today although it has been years since I actually heard the sound.

In addition to being far smaller than the big stations today, the building that housed the stations were more inviting. Many had pitched roofs and had the look of a county cottage. Some had the canopy that extended over the pumps and some did not.

Many if not most of these old stations are no longer around or if so they exists is various states of decay. None of these stations still operate as gas stations but many of these facilities along Route 66 have been restored, remodeled, and serve other purposes such as shops, restaurants, and visitors centers. The old architecture of these stations and is a draw when repurposed with style. Most of the stations shown in this post have been entered on the National Register of Historic Places.

With the 100th Anniversary of Route 66 approaching in two years, many towns and cities along the route are “sprucing up” the facilities that were in their glory many decades ago when Route 66 was the “Main Street of America”. Many of the gas stations seen in this post will surely be shining as the anniversary year progresses.

While it is important to save these old facilities from the wrecking ball or just be torn down to make way for newer businesses, the nostalgia and charm of these buildings remains. Hopefully, other stations will be saved as time goes on.

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Wagon Wheel: The Wagon Wheel Motel, Cafe, and Service Station is located in Cuba, Mo. The facility opened in 1936 and became a very popular stop for travelers on Route 66. The stone structure is original including the hardwood floors and stone fire place. The motel consists of cottage style stone structures and are still in use today. The gas station and cafe are just memories but artifacts still remain from the Standard Oil station. The cafe area is now a nice gift shop which is next to the motel office. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

The Fourway: The Fourway Restaurant occupies an old gas station in downtown Cuba, Mo. The structure was originally a Phillips 66 station which opened in 1932. The station operated under other names and was even a car dealership. The building became home to Wallis Oil Co. in 1968 but that company outgrew the space and relocated across the street. The owners of the Fourway have transferred ownership as of 2021 and the restaurant is now Weir’s On 66. This photo was taken before the name change took place. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Cars On the Route: Cars On the Route is housed in a 1934 Kan-O-Tex gas station  in Galena, Kan. A rusty 1951 International Harvester tow truck sits beside the station which became the inspiration for the ‘Tow Mater’ character in the Pixar movie ‘Cars’. The business sells sandwiches and snacks as well as Route 66 related items mostly relating to cars. For trademark purposes they have named the 1951 tow truck ‘Tow-Tater’. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Baxter Springs Phillip 66: This building was built by Independent Oil & Gas in 1930. Later that year the company sold the station to Phillips 66 who operated through the 1970s. The building was remodeled and restored in 2007 and is now home to the Baxter Springs Visitor Center. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Gearhead Curios: This facility did not look like much when I photographed the area in 2019. However, the building was purchased by Aaron and Kelly Perry and restoration work was just beginning. This structure is an example of what could be saved as it is now a renovated Texaco station which houses a shop and visitors information center for Route 66. I am anxious to return to Galena, Kan. and photograph the remodeled facility. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com