Threatt Filling Station(65)
- Jonathan Elmore
- Dec 5, 2025
- 2 min read
LUTHER
On a stretch of Route 66, in a rural part of Oklahoma, there sits a service station that has an incredible story. First opened around 1915, and now on the National Register of Historic Sites, the Threatt Service Station humbly sits by the side of the road in Luther. But its history is anything but ordinary.
The life of the filling station began when Allen Threatt, Sr. opened a place to sell gasoline on the now famous Route 66. Back then it was simply a new road that made traveling the country a little easier, but it would become one of the most traveled roads in the U.S. and Threatt's Filling Station was a highlight. An African American owned business wasn't unheard of in that time, but it certainly wasn't commonplace. That didn't bother the Threatt family at all. They accepted anyone who graced their doors. You could fill up your car or camper, buy some fresh eggs and milk, and even spend the night on the property knowing you'd be safe. Eventually, they would add an early version of a convenience store with things like canned goods and bread. In 1937, they added a cafe next door and that building is still owned by the Threatt family.
While the Threatt Station wasn't in the official Green Book that helped African Americans travel safely across America, it was a known place that black folks could stop without the threat of being harrassed or worse. (I'm still shocked and embarrassed that we needed a Green Book at all. But bigots have ruined a lot of things.) The Station became a place where people from the area, as well as travelers, could stop and eat, fill up their vehicles, play a game of dominoes, dance on the weekends, hang out and talk, and occasionally see a Negro League baseball game that was played across the street. That would have been an awesome place to be back in its heyday. I feel like we could use a place like that again.
The building has been fixed up and there are some old gas pumps out front like it used to be. It was cool to be in a place where great history happened. When I was there, the building was locked up, but I got some photos. I've included a couple of links for you to enjoy about the history of a really cool place.
21940 OK 66, Luther
405-443-6655
Entry Fee: Free
Hours: 24/7 Outside
Jonathan Elmore ©2025
