Outlaw Gas Station: During the prohibition era, many establishments secretly began to appear with one product in mind, moonshine. Often these businesses appeared to be legitimate establishments such as a gas station or other common business but moonshine sales were king. This gas station may have sold more moonshine than gas back in the day. The old station is in Glen Rose, Texas. The structure was constructed with stone, bricks, and petrified wood. Petrified wood was plentiful in the area and widely used in buildings in the area. After the prohibition era ended, the business but the shell of the station’s structure remains. The remains of the station are in good condition considering the age of the building.
Bent Door: A gas station and cottages sat on this site along Route 66 in Adrian, Texas, until 1947 when the structure burned to the ground. The owner never rebuilt and sold the property to Bob Harris. Harris wanted to build a unique building to attract Route 66 travelers. Harris purchased a World War II era control tower that stood at Dalhart Army Air Field in Dalhart, Texas, which closed at the end of the war. The windows near the doorway do look like windows of a control tower. The red, uniquely shaped door was added later. A cafe and gas station operated there until the 1970s. The red bent door adds character that sets the cafe apart from others. Unfortunately, the building has sat vacant since the 70s but it is still an active and popular stop for Route 66 drivers today. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Eiffel Tower: The town of Paris, Texas. The replica tower of the Eiffel Tower in France is about 1/16 the size of the France tower. The members of a local welder’s union built the tower in 1993. A red cowboy hat was added to the top of the tower in 1998. The tower also has lights, which are lit during Christmas and special occasions. The tower is a unique tourist attraction at the top of the Texas Panhandle. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Traveling across the country on the backroads gives us the opportunity to see and experience things one would never see from the Interstate highways. Many of these sites are serendipitous surprises, which we enjoy while others we may have seen or read about prior to the trip and are planned stops.
The last phase of our current trip has been through Texas. However, we have driven several new routes on this trip. We traveled from Tulsa, Okla. to Houston and we have “wandered” more than our usual Texas trips, which provide new opportunities to spot interesting photo subjects.
As I was reviewing photos made during the trip I noticed that I had a few more miscellaneous photos that were interesting and fun stops but may not warrant a “Post From the Road” story. This week I have gathered a few of these photos and combined them into a single Post entitled “Texas Roadside Oddities”. The story behind each of these photos is included in the captions.
We thoroughly enjoy our travels and these fun stops are sometimes the highlight of the day. Occasionally we will see something and decide not to stop, or there may not be a safe place close by to turn around and go back. Most of the time when this happens, I kick myself later for not stopping but it’s all part of the journey.
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.
Devil’s Backbone Tavern: The structure of the Devil’s Backbone Tavern was originally a stagecoach stop in the 1800s. Today, it is home to the oldest dive bar in Texas, serving customers since 1937. At the end of the building is a restored 1940s Sinclair gas station, complete with a pink Cadillac with steer horns mounted to the front. In the back of the building is an outdoor eating area where BBQ is served from an old barbecue shack. Many other items around the property indicate that it is a full blooded Texas establishment. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Fill’er Up: A former brick gas station in the tiny town of Evant, Texas caught my eye when we passed through town and I had to turn back and photograph the scene. The old brick structure stands strong while two older vehicles are parked by the gas pumps. The bright red pumps have the logo of Mobilgas emblem and logo as well as the Mobilgas glass globe on top of the pumps. I don’t know anything about the science but it feels like a scene from my childhood travels. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Oxbow Bakery: When passing through Palestine, Texas. I saw a sign directing travelers to Old Palestine. What we discovered when we arrived was a grouping of old buildings along the roadway, which all dated back to the 1800s. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the cafe but it was the Oxbow Bakery that really got our attention. We enjoyed browsing around the store’s antiques and, of course, we had to leave with a slice of pie to enjoy later. The pie did not disappoint! We enjoyed walking through every business that was open and had a great break from driving. This is about Americana as good as it gets! Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com