Magnolia Station on the Ozark Trail

As many of you know, I drive an average of 2,000 miles per week during my oil and gas photography road trips. And whenever possible, I try to take the back roads and keep my eyes open for interesting photographs along the way.

Early morning on the final day of my last trip found me in the small town of Vega, Texas at the Magnolia Station. The station was built in 1924 by Colonel J. T. Owen on a dirt road known as the Ozark Trail, which connected Vega to Amarillo and Adrian. The road later became part of the historic Route 66 developed by Cyrus Avery to connect existing roads through the main streets of towns along its path from Chicago to Santa Monica. Route 66 became known as "America's Main Street".

Art Deco Conoco Station

Another great find during my most recent oil and gas photography road trip was a restored Art Deco gas station in the Texas panhandle town of Shamrock. Located along historic Route 66, the station was known locally as the Tower Building. This combination gas station, lubrication, auto laundry and diner was designed by Pampa Architect J. C. Berry and built by J. M. Tindall in 1936. And the price on the pump was 34.9 cents per gallon. Not the lowest price I have ever seen, but darn close!