About three miles east of Arcadia, Oklahoma, there is the shell of an old, abandoned gas station built in the early 1900s. The station had two gas pumps, one regular and one ethyl, and a 50-gallon drum of oil lying on a wooden frame with a spigot for motor oil. There was no electricity in the area, so kerosene for lamps was also dispensed from a 50-gallon barrel.
Apparently, the owner had a hard time making a living until a salesman stopped by and offered to sell him a way to make a lot of money. The salesman was from Chicago and had a set of plates for a counterfeit ten-dollar bill.
According to information posted on the building, the station owner purchased the plates, constructed a secret room behind the gas station, and began printing $10 bills. Unfortunately, one of the people helping with the counterfeiting was arrested while passing one of the $10 bills, which led the police to the gas station. The station was closed and never reopened. On the way to jail, the owner was overheard to say, "It wasn't worth it!"
Years later, which had nothing to do with the counterfeiting, a murder victim was found in the old abandoned building. No one knew the person, and there was no identification on the body. The murder was never solved.
The abandoned building is now known in tourist literature as "The Lawless Gas Station of Route 66."
One mile east of Choctaw Road between the cities of Arcadis and Luther, there is a historical marker noting the eastern boundary of the Land Run of 1889. An inscription on the marker reads: "At the opening of the 'Old Oklahoma' April 22, 1889, this was the east line for the run starting at 12 o'clock noon. Prairies and hills in the 2,000,000-acre tract, west, were peopled by tens of thousands. Homes were planted, and tent cities sprang up before nightfall."
The historic Craftsman "house-style" Threatt Filling Station near Luther (population 1,492) was built in 1915 using local sandstone. It is believed to be the first and only Black-owned and operated gas station on Route 66 during the 20th century. During the Jim Crow era, when many towns and businesses denied service to African Americans, this station offered fuel, food, charcoal, water, and a place to camp for Black travelers. Negro League baseball games were held on the surrounding property. The Threatt Family still owns the property, and they have received preservation grants from both the National Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the Oklahoma Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to support restoration and maintenance costs.
Warwick (population 164) is home to the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, housed in a restored 1920s DX gas station. The museum houses a large collection of vintage motorcycles dating back to the early 1900s, plus Route 66 memorabilia. This is a "must stop" for bike riders and most other Route 66 travelers.
The collection includes road bikes, racing and off-road machines, historic units, clothing, signs, and more. Outside the building is the first outhouse along Route 66 to have running water.
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| Outhouse that had running water. |
One of the most famous bikes in the collection is a 1974 Rupp RMX 125. This was a prototype unit that was made for photo shoots and dealer meetings only. It has never been started, and it is the only Rupp bike that was never sold through a dealer. When the Rupp Company closed, the owner took the bike with him to California, where it was stored until 2002, when it was sold.
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| A futuristic bike made for a movie. |
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