Finn's Gas Station (Demolished)
Oklahoma City, OK
Photo courtesy Mike & Terie Lepker

Stop by the Finn's Gas Station while in Oklahoma City. This deco delight was built very similarly to the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, TX.

Check out this little deco gem that once stood along Route 66 in Oklahoma City. Finn's Gas Station may have been a place to fill up the tank, but it's the building itself that grabs your attention. The streamlined design, curved surfaces, and distinctive tower gave it a look that was far more stylish than the average neighborhood gas station.

The station is often compared to the famous U-Drop Inn and Tower Station in Shamrock, Texas, and it's easy to see why. Both featured eye-catching Art Deco styling that turned an everyday roadside stop into something memorable. While much smaller in scale, this Oklahoma City station carried the same spirit and showed that even a local filling station could have a little architectural flair.

For travelers cruising Route 66 during the mid-20th century, buildings like this helped break up the drive. Long before chain stations all looked alike, independent operators often relied on unique designs to catch the attention of passing motorists. Finn's certainly succeeded in standing out from the crowd.

UPDATE: Finn's Gas Station has been demolished and no longer stands. While the building is gone, photographs like this preserve the memory of one of Oklahoma City's more distinctive Route 66-era service stations. 06-26

Vaughns Service Station (Gone)
Fort Dodge, IA
Photo and info courtesy Allen Sandquist

Check out this old Phillips 66 station in Fort Dodge. Vaughn's Service Station probably sold plenty of gas over the years, but let's be honest — the real attraction was everything sitting around the station.

First there was the giant Phillips 66 cowboy standing out in the lot greeting motorists along Highway 20. Then there was the goofy oversized head sitting on the roof keeping an eye on traffic. Between the two, it would have been pretty hard to drive by without taking a second look.

Back when independent service stations were competing for customers, places often came up with creative ways to get noticed. Vaughn's certainly had that figured out. Whether you stopped for gas or not, chances are you remembered the station with the giant cowboy and the strange face on the roof long after you drove away. 11-05

UPDATE: The station building is still standing today, but both the giant cowboy and the rooftop figure are gone. 06-26

Magnolia Service Station (Closed)
Texola, OK
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Located in Texola, OK is this old stalwart from the days when mom-and-pop gas stations could be found in just about every town along the highway. Magnolia Service Station sits along old Route 66 looking much as it has for decades, weathered by time but still hanging on.

Back when travelers depended on small local stations for fuel, directions, and sometimes a little roadside conversation, places like this were an important part of the journey. This station was built around 1930 and served motorists traveling through one of the westernmost communities in Oklahoma before reaching the Texas state line.

What makes the station especially interesting today is how much of it still remains. Even though the pumps are gone and the canopy collapsed years ago, the old building continues to stand as a reminder of an era when independent service stations were a common sight across rural America. 06-06

UPDATE: Magnolia Service Station remains standing but is vacant and unrestored. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building continues to attract Route 66 travelers and photographers exploring the Oklahoma-Texas border region. 06-26

Derby Gas Station
St. James, OK
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out this old rusted sign at Lyle's Derby Station in St. James, Missouri. Lyle's Derby Station is one of those Route 66 relics that immediately takes you back to a time when small independent gas stations lined the highway through town. Even if the station itself wasn't open, that colorful Derby sign was hard to miss.

The station served motorists traveling Route 66 through the Missouri Ozarks for decades. Like many stations of the era, it featured service bays, fuel pumps, and a distinctive roadside sign designed to catch the attention of passing travelers. Today, the weathered pumps, old canopy, and surviving sign help tell the story of a different era of highway travel.

For roadside enthusiasts, places like this are a reminder that not every memorable Route 66 landmark was a giant attraction. Sometimes all it took was a unique sign, a couple of gas pumps, and a spot along the Mother Road to become part of the journey. 09-08

UPDATE: The station building still stands and has been cleaned up and repurposed. Best of all, the classic Derby sign remains in place, continuing to greet Route 66 travelers passing through St. James. 06-26

Rossi Brothers (former Sinclair)
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

This old Sinclair station harkens back to the days when travelers passed through Tulsa on Route 66. Rossi Brothers occupies one of the most distinctive former service stations along the old highway. With its stucco walls, red tile roof, and unusual corner tower, it doesn't look much like the average gas station.

The building was constructed in 1929 by the Sinclair Refining Company during Tulsa's oil boom years. Like a number of stations built during that era, it was designed to resemble a home rather than a service garage. The approach helped make motorists feel more comfortable at a time when the automobile was still relatively new and gas stations were becoming a regular part of the American landscape.

For decades, Route 66 travelers would have passed this station while making their way through Tulsa. Even though the pumps are long gone, the building remains one of the better-preserved reminders of the city's early automotive history. 08-17

UPDATE: Rossi Brothers moved into the building in 1972 and helped preserve the former Sinclair station for decades. The building remains standing today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, continuing to be one of the most recognizable historic service station buildings along Tulsa's stretch of Route 66. 06-26