Through Jeroslyn JoVonn
February 7, 2026
Dedicated descendants have restored Route 66’s only black-owned gas station to its former glory and plan to expand it further.
Oklahoma’s Threatt Gas Station, the only black-owned gas station on historic Route 66, has been revived by dedicated descendants determined to honor the legacy of their ancestors.
The Threatt Gas Station, founded in 1915 and housed in the current building since 1933, was the first and only A black-owned gas station on Route 66 before it closed in the 1970s, News On 6 reports. Now, after renovations by descendants of the original owner, Allen Threatt Sr., much of the station’s original charm has been restored and ready for Route 66’s centennial.
“I know they would be proud,” Edward Threatt said. “I’m convinced they look down on us. They know what we do. They know why we do what we do because that’s how we were raised.”
The station location and service made it a crucial stop for black travelers during the Jim Crow era, including sunset towns. In 2023, the founder’s nephews and grandsons led the preservation effort, and they are now planning an expansion to include an interpretive center to share the station’s history, set to open in May.
“I never thought about that one day, I was going to be 75 years old,” Edward said. “I never thought that one day I would become an elder of the family. When I enjoyed life as a child, I did not think about death. But now I never come to this place without thinking of Grandma and Grandpa.”
Threatt created a close-knit, family atmosphere at the station, with the cousins helping as they grew up. Even after the station closed, family members continued to live in or visit the building well into the early 2000s.
“He was just proud of himself, of his whole, complete family,” the Rev. Allen Threat III said of his grandfather.
In addition to the interpretive center, the Threatts hope to expand the property across more than 100 acres, possibly by rebuilding a baseball diamond that once hosted Negro League games, reopening a restaurant next door and adding an RV park.
“I’m trying to make sure people know they can come here,” Edward said. “They can enjoy themselves, relax and know that if you don’t look like me, I won’t discriminate against you.”
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