Hooker to Oklahoma City, Part II

We got to Elk City, OK, the next planned destination, in the early afternoon, excited to tour the National Route 66 Museum. None of the sites I had used for research indicated this, but it is actually a museum complex consisting of 5 distinct museums showcasing primarily Elk City history.

Rt 66 sign grabs you at once

Exterior of the Elk City Museum Complex

Giant Kachina

The National Transportation Museum consisted of a single room with parts of 1950s cars set up as though they were in a drive in. You could sit in them and watch little film clips. It also housed a 1946 Harley Davidson, a vintage Indian motorcycle, a 1917 fire engine and the smallest plane I've ever seen.

Not a great picture, I know, but showing the scale of the tiny airplane

National Rt 66 Museum was next and I was excited! The ticket taker welcomed us to “walk along Rt 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica” and it began with a pristine Lincoln in Chicago and a recording giving you an overview of the highway history.

Lincoln with a Continental kit 

But what followed was way less than expected. There was a mural, showing the route and several collections of common household items during the 30s and 40s, but not even any pictures of some of the iconic structures that populated the roadside during it's heyday. We literally walked through in about 5 minutes.

The interior of the museum complex consisted of restored historical buildings from around the around the Elk City area.

Rail Depot

Opera House

Old Gas Station

My friends from Colorado will appreciate this one! 

Antique gas pump

Many of the buildings were closed this time of year, but we could peer through the windows and see most of the displays within. Of course, each was labeled with it's history and a bit about the structure or business.

The next museum was called the Old Town Museum. The building was the home of a couple who co-owned the Herring & Young Mercantile stores which dotted western Oklahoma. It houses exhibits of vintage room settings, artifacts of early-day western Oklahoma life, Native American displays and a military display. The second floor is dedicated to the world famous Beutler Brothers Rodeo Stock Company, who provided bucking bulls and horses at rodeos across the nation. There was a beautiful sculpture in front of the museum depicting a cowboy on a bucking bronco.

Outside Old Town Museum 

The only inside picture I managed (photography not allowed!) was this of the original OSU telephone switchboard. I used to work on one exactly like this after high school!

Original OSU Switchboard

Farm & Ranch Museum was next and we spent a bit of time in there. Many vintage tractors, cowboy paraphernalia, household items such as washing machines and vacuums, cotton pickers and a lot more. Very extensive collections preserving the history of a technology that is long gone, replaced by newer. Even though I didn't know what half the items were in there, I had to appreciate the fact that these items have been collected and preserved for many generations to come to marvel over how hard life must have been back then and how sturdy and hard-working people were.

Ditto for the Blacksmith Museum, the final stop in the complex. I didn't know what most of the items were for, but there was a complete barn full of item that may still be used today, for all I know!

Farm & Ranch and Blacksmith museums 

We were tired and it was late in the day, so the city of Elk City was kind enough to provide free camping at the Elk City Lake, a small city park at the edge of town. There were 5 concrete pads, with free electricity and water and only one other camper parked. We set up, went back into town for dinner and hit the hay early.

Until next time...