A Route 66 centennial monument was dedicated Friday at the historic Threatt Filling Station along Route 66 near Luther, Oklahoma.
Members of the surviving Threatt family, which have worked for the past several years to preserve the structure, attended the event.
According to the Luther Register News, Edward Threatt Sr., who manages the station, announced continuing renovation plans for the station that include transforming it into an interpretive center for Route 66 visitors.
Though the Black-owned station never appeared in the Negro Motorist Green Book, it was known by fellow travelers as a safe haven for generations. That’s even before Route 66 existed, as the station was founded by Allen Threatt in 1915 until it closed to the public in 1974.
KFOR-TV in nearby Oklahoma City reported:
“All I can do is think about what Grandpa was saying,” Edward Threatt said. “Way back during his time, what we’re doing right now wasn’t possible. If a black man was on camera, it was probably something negative. There’s nothing negative about what’s going on here. Everything is positive.” […]
“The future, I believe, is brighter than what the past has been,” Threatt said.
The monument now joins several others across the country.
The Route 66 Centennial Monument Project is part of the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission and the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission.
The Threatt monument is the eighth installed so far. Another 10 will be installed this summer in locations on Route 66 from Illinois to California, with dozens more planned.
More images and videos from the ceremony:
(Image from the Threatt Filling Station ceremony by the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office)