Historic Black-owned Luther filling station honored with Route 66 Centennial monument

A piece of Oklahoma’s Route 66 history is glowing again in Luther as part of the Route 66 Centennial Monument Project. Once a bustling filling station built in 1915 by Alan Threatt Sr., the property has been restored with a neon-lit monument honoring its legacy. Known as the first Black-owned filling station on the Mother Road, the Threatt Station sold Conoco products, groceries, and café meals. It also became a safe stop for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era and a welcoming place for others, even though it was never listed in the historic Green Book travel guide.Related: New book honors first 100 years of Route 66 with rare photosThe monument is the eighth installed along Route 66 and one of about 20 planned between Illinois and California. Organizers say the project will become the largest art installation in American history once complete.Plans are underway to reopen the station as an interpretive center, where visitors can learn more about its history and the people who kept it running. In the meantime, a QR code at the site allows visitors to access historical information on the Threatt Station’s role in Route 66’s story.Related: ‘Once It’s Gone, It’s Gone’: Community Members Look To Preserve Route 66’s Historic Ribbon RoadThe project not only celebrates the history of the iconic highway but also shines a light on the contributions of Black entrepreneurs to America’s road culture.



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