Lucille's Historic Highway Gas Station

Lucille's Service Station near Hydro is one of Oklahoma Route 66's most beloved surviving roadside landmarks. The two-story station was operated for decades by Lucille Hamons, who became known to travelers as the "Mother of the Mother Road." The building combines a filling station with upstairs living quarters, a practical design that allowed operators to live directly above their business. Lucille and her family served Route 66 motorists through changing decades of travel, and her personality became as important to the station's reputation as the architecture itself. The original station is preserved as a historic landmark rather than operating as a conventional gas stop. Its weathered appearance and location beside the old highway make it a particularly authentic Route 66 photograph. Lucille's story is a reminder that the road's history was created not only by neon signs and famous attractions but by individual business owners who helped stranded travelers, offered conversation and built personal relationships with people passing through Oklahoma.