Driving Route 66 from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, about three miles before the town of Luther you'll notice an old sandstone building with peeling white gables. At first glance, it's the kind of structure a realtor might dismiss as a "tear down." But behind its dusty windows rest a pair of faded signs that simply read in orange print, "This place matters." The place is The Threatt Filling Station, which in its heyday was a black owned rest stop that serviced African American motorists throughout the entirety of the segregation era. More than a destination for gas and provisions, it provided a much needed refuge for weary travelers of color. We'll spend some time there with cousins Edward and Allen Threatt, who share stories, family history, memories of its past, and their plans for its future, while cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor is on hand to describe what the experience of traveling 66 would have been like for black drivers. We're also joined by Dr. Lorn Foster of Pomona College to touch on the Great Migration's impact. The resulting segment is a tribute to those who found joy in the midst of darkness, and to borrow a quote from MLK, made "a way out of no way."  

The Threatt Filling Station  

Candacy Taylor - Taylor Made Culture  

Dr. Lorn Foster

In 1921, the city of Tulsa bore witness to the greatest incident of racial violence in American history when the prosperous African-American neighborhood of Greenwood was invaded and destroyed in an act of mob terrorism. But while this disgrace which resulted in as many as 300 deaths was ignored for decades, a century later, it seems to be getting its share of attention. Last year, 107 year old survivor Viola Fletcher, riveted Congress with her eyewitness testimony in a public plea for justice, while the president visited Tulsa to commemorate its Centennial in a display of apology. Memorial banners were unfurled downtown and walking this city's streets you'll happen upon murals, statues, parks, and even a 30 million dollar museum built in remembrance. But what happened to Greenwood after 1921 and what can be found visiting the neighborhood today? Join us as we walk its streets, and hear from locals and historians who are striving to tell this district’s full story. 

Terry Baccus’s Tours of Black Wall Street 

Greenwood Rising 

Wanda J’s Next Generation

Dr. Scott Ellsworth - "Death In a Promised Land"

As a special treat, we're pleased to introduce you to one of our favorite podcasts, 2 Lives. This title comes from the quote, “We all have two lives. The second begins the moment we realize we have only one.” These are stories of people who have faced darkness and how those moments transformed them. It’s created and hosted by veteran journalist Laurel Morales who among many accomplishments claims an Edward R Murrow Award, and over 20 years behind the microphone on NPR. As it happens, she also lives in the beautiful Route 66 town of Flagstaff, Arizona. If you like what you hear, you can find 2 Lives on your favorite podcast platform.

2 Lives

"The Carnegie Hall of Western Swing" is just one of many titles that have been bestowed on Tulsa's famed Cain's Ballroom since its opening in the 1920s. It was from this stage that Bob Wills helped introduce Western Swing to the masses, and decades later crowds continue to flock here to take a spin on its legendary dance floor. In this episode, we'll experience this venue's magic on the occasion of Asleep at the Wheel's 50th Anniversary Tour, and hang out backstage with their legendary front man Ray Benson. Former owner Larry Schaeffer also shares stories of some of the more temperamental artists who've passed through including Hank Williams and The Sex Pistols. Author John Wooley is also on hand to provide a little history, while current stewards Chad Rodgers and Brad Harris talk about how they've guided Cain's into the 21st century. 

Cain's Ballroom 

Asleep at the Wheel 

Twentieth Century Honky-Tonk 

John Wooley

From "The World's Second Largest Rocking Chair" in Cuba, Missouri, to "The Leaning Water Tower of Groom, Texas," Route 66 boasts no shortage of roadside oddities that are all great for a stop, snap and chuckle. At the same time, it's easy to forget that these sites were all built by people with hopes and dreams, and most always offer a bit more than what meets the eyes. In this episode, we'll visit Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park, The Blue Whale of Catoosa, and the Slug Bug and Cadillac Ranches to not only learn of their origins, but hear a few stories of how they've shaped and impacted lives. 

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park 

The Blue Whale of Catoosa

Slug Bug Ranch

Cadillac Ranch

Lile Art Gallery 

John Wooley

Books by Linda Ross-Hobbs

Strong Sense of Place

Entering the town of Miami, Oklahoma on Route 66, you'll pass the GAR Cemetery. A resting place for over 20,000, its director Nancy Bro is quick to say that each one of their graves holds a life that meant something for many people. This is, of course, true of all burial plots. Yet GAR is unique as walking its grounds, you will notice a Union Jack flag flying above fifteen WWII Era graves bearing the badges of Britain's Royal Air Force. In this episode, we'll pay our respects at a memorial service, hear the story of how these young men came to rest so far from home, and learn of how this rural community has honored these fallen soldiers for over eighty years.  

British Flyers History   

British Flyers Cadets Gallery 

GAR General Information 

Nancy Bro on Our American Stories 

Nancy Bro on The Route 66 Podcast

Among the titles it's earned, Route 66 is often hailed as "The Main Street of America." But America is a lot of things and absent from many of its popular myths and legends are the stories of those who preceded the pilgrims or Jamestown. Yet it is indisputable that our country wouldn't exist as we know it without them and the same is true of the Route itself. Even today, more than half of 66 passes through Indian country and driving the road will carry you through more than twenty-five tribal nations. While this presence was propagated for many years as a means of luring tourist dollars, in this episode we'll begin our travels by getting to know a few makers of different tribes and backgrounds along the Route whose work not only dispels stereotypes, but reveals stories that are in their own way quintessentially American. Featuring visits to Quapaw, Oklahoma, Gallup, New Mexico, and Lupton, Arizona, contributors include elder leader Grace Goodeagle, potter Betty Gaedtke, artist and educator Teri Frazier, and knife maker David Yellowhorse.

David Yellowhorse Knives

Betty Gaedtke's Quapaw Pottery

The Gallup Cultural Center