Oklahoma
100 Years of the Mother Road: Wellston’s Route 66 revival
As we highlight the centennial of Route 66, News On 6 is taking a look at how one Oklahoma town fought for the Mother Road, suing when developers wanted to bypass it. Today, that court decision is still having an impact, as the community is seeing a resurgence 100 years in the making.
The midpoint of Route 66 in Oklahoma
Of the 400 miles of Route 66 in Oklahoma, one town sits right in the middle.
“We’re the midpoint of Route 66 in Oklahoma, which is kind of a cool thing to hang our hat on,” Route 66 Commission Chairman Thomas Tillison Jr. said.
The town of Wellston is halfway to Texas, halfway to Missouri and at one point in time was a key point along the Mother Road.
“We have photos of businesses down here — Main Street is packed. Every spot is full. Over time, it became less and less,” Andrew Steffenson said.
Like so many other small towns along Route 66, time ticked on, interstates moved in and people moved away. Wellston, though, faced an additional challenge: in the 1930s, developers almost took this town essentially off the map.
“As far as locally here, that’s a point of frustration for our small town, because it kind of crushed our small town,” Tillison said.
Tillison has lived here since 1980 and, like others here, is well versed on the town’s complicated history and strong resilience.
“We were a thriving community”
The year was 1932. Route 66 was six years old. Wellston was hotter than ever.
“We were a thriving community,” Tillison said. “We had multiple cotton gins, mercantile stores, car dealerships, pharmacies; our downtown was thriving.”
But federal highway planners wanted to straighten Route 66 in spots by creating a shorter, more direct path west. In Wellston, that meant a new alignment south of town, which became known as the “gap.”
“When they bypassed us, we look at more of a bypass than a gap,” Tillison said.
Knowing what it would do to traffic and the local economy, locals quickly fought back. By 1933, residents filed several lawsuits, which eventually made it all the way to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
The Court sided with the town, meaning the highway department was ordered to pave and maintain the loop through Wellston. But despite the victory, the gap was paved as well.
“It just has slowly deteriorated since we were bypassed because we weren’t the main thoroughfare anymore,” Tillison said.
By 1939, the number of cars on the gap exceeded the number on the loop.
Restoring Wellston’s History
Today, the town of Wellston is still a very unique spot along Route 66. There is Route 66, but a loop called 66B takes you into the town of Wellston.
Along 66B, Steffenson runs one of the few businesses on the loop and has old pictures in his office.
“It’s nice to see how Wellston was and how it could be,” Steffenson said.
He and many others in town are working to restore its history. New murals and landmarks are popping up, with plans for more this year. But perhaps the biggest draw to Wellston in recent years has to do with the smell of barbecue.
The Butcher BBQ Stand is a Wellston restaurant only open for lunch on weekends, but one that is gaining some fame outside of Oklahoma.
“Cutting meat and barbecuing on the weekends literally has been my whole life forever,” owner Levi Bouska said.
Bouska opened it in 2015 after growing up barbecuing with his dad and grandparents.
“When I first opened, it was just a 40-foot Conex, and everyone stood outside and waited in line,” Bouska said.
Word soon spread, and then people followed. And not just Oklahomans. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a line forms out front, long before the doors even open, with many of them taking Route 66 to visit Wellston specifically.
It’s something that’s been years in the making, and something people here hope is a sign of things to come.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
-
Massachusetts5 minutes agoArlington Nonprofit Receives Statewide Grant Funding
-
Minnesota8 minutes agoBuses to replace Metro Transit Blue Line, parts of Green Line for maintenance this summer
-
Mississippi13 minutes agoPolitical speeches happening at Neshoba County Fair. Here’s the schedule – SuperTalk Mississippi
-
Missouri20 minutes agoMissouri ice cream shop named best in the state. Here’s why.
-
Montana23 minutes ago
Social media star Montana Tucker to host Maccabiah Games delegation parade | The Jerusalem Post
-
Nebraska28 minutes agoUNMC teams with Central Nebraska Health Departments to assess needs, test water after March wildfires
-
New Hampshire38 minutes agoMasked men with baseball bats terrorize 12-year-old during NH home invasion
-
North Carolina43 minutes agoHenri Veesaar’s North Carolina exit proves to be costly beyond belief
