Threatt Station, Luther, OK

Route 66 centennial monument DESTINATION

Threatt Station, Luther, OK

Route 66 centennial

monument destination

Welcome to the Threatt Filling Station!

The windswept sandstone building before you, situated on the crest of this open slope three miles east of the town of Luther, may look modest at first glance, but it is filled with a rich and rare history.

Threatt Filling Station, Luther, OK

This is the Threatt Filling Station, the first African American–owned filling station on Route 66. The station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April of 1995. The station predates the Mother Road that brought you here.

First opened in 1915, when this stretch of road was part of the Ozark Trail, the station was positioned between two “sundown towns” where African Americans weren’t safe to stay after dark. It quickly became a safe haven for black travelers during the Jim Crow era.

Though never listed in the Green Book guidebook for black travelers from 1936 to 1966, the station became known as a place people of color could find fuel, food, drink, Red Cross services, Greyhound buses — and even a baseball diamond that hosted Negro League Baseball games.

Help Restore the Historic Threatt Station(opens in new tab)

Today, the station is being carefully restored by the Threatt family to serve as an interpretive center and cultural landmark in time for Route 66’s Centennial.

To help the Threatt Family restore and protect this important historical landmark, please consider offering a donation.

Donate Now

Threatt Station Luther Oklahoma family photo

Family Affair

Edward D. Threatt Sr. grew up in a modest home on the property and eventually became mayor of Luther, OK. Now, he and cousins Linda McCauley-Fisher and Charles David Threatt are on a full-blown mission to bring the family legacy forward.

His grandparents, Allen Threatt Sr. and Alberta Wallace-Threatt, moved to Oklahoma from Alabama more than a century ago, and first founded the station in 1915. After a fire destroyed the original wood building, construction on this sandstone building began in 1933, as the engraving on the eastern wall indicates, and was completed in 1939.

It’s been passed on to family members since – from Allen to Edward’s uncle Ulysses Grant Threatt in 1950, then to his widowed wife Elizabeth (“Mrs. Threatt to me,” her nephew Edward says, “because she was also my teacher.”). The filling station closed to the public in 1974, though Mrs. Threatt lived here until her death in 2009.

“She was an old-school hoarder. She kept everything,” Edward explains. “And that’s a blessing for the family. Without her, we wouldn’t have some of the artifacts that we see in here.”

Edward remembers the station as a community hub: “People would come here and gather after work, talk, get beer or pop, even watch TV. And somehow, there used to be a pool table in here—I still don’t know how they shot pool in this space.”

After moving to Nebraska while serving in the military, Edward returned to Luther in 2006 to take care of his dad Edmond Threatt, Mrs. Threatt. and look after the building. Now he leads the site’s restoration efforts.

From left to right David Threatt Allen Threatt Marva Danna, and Edward Threat Sr Route 66

From left to right, David Threatt, Allen Threatt, Marva Danna, and Edward Threatt Sr.

Looking Ahead

Plans are underway to reopen the station as a Route 66 interpretive center—a place to share the story of the Threatt family, Oklahoma black history, and the legacy of the land itself. Outside, restored Conoco pumps, signage, and a monument honor its roadside heritage. An ice cream parlor and outdoor art garden are in development, and family artifacts—like ledgers, letters, and uniforms--help tell the story inside. There is even talk of bringing back baseball.

“We don’t want this to just be a stop for people,” Edward says. “We want it to be a destination where they can learn, relax, enjoy, and have a good time.”

More Information

The town of Luther, a railroad town that dates to the late 19th Century, is three miles west. A string of businesses lines its Main Street, and there are a few dining options, with several more eight miles farther west in Arcadia.

Learn more about the restoration and future plans for the site at threattfillingstation.org. Additional travel info can be found through Travel Oklahoma (travelok.com).