service stations made long-distance automobile and motorcycle travel not only possible but practical.
On no stretch of road was this level of care more important than on the long miles between Chicago and Los Angeles. Like the motor courts and eateries that popped up to serve travelers along Route 66, service stations brought much needed revenue to small communities and essential services to those passing through them.
When Route 66 was decommissioned, businesses that were born in response to increased travel along the route suffered, including service stations. Many were abandoned and left to crumble over time. Some were transformed into other businesses to meet new needs. Some were demolished to make way for something new. Luckily, a few have survived the decades and been preserved or restored to give travelers a chance to peel back the curtain of time and relive the experience from Route 66’ s golden age.
The West End Service Station in Edwardsville, Illinois, is such a one. Opened in 1927, this station served travelers until 1964, when Route 66 was rerouted to bypass the town. After the building’ s purpose of serving Route 66 travelers disappeared, it housed a dentistry practice. In 2022, the City of Edwardsville began restoring the building to what it looked like in its service-station heyday, creating a Route 66 interpretive center where travelers can learn more about the route.
Sprague’ s Super Service in Normal, Illinois, is another example of a restored service station that’ s worth a stop. In an era when big fuel companies built uniform stations with recognizable architecture, William Sprague chose a different approach. Opposing standardized service-station architecture, Sprague constructed a unique Tudor Revival building with steep gables and a red roof. It was a popular stop in the 1930s, but by the 1940s, a rerouting bypassed the station, and subsequent owners shifted their business to cater to the local community. In 2006, restoration began, and today it serves as a visitor center and gift shop.
Unfortunately, some service stations with historical significance didn’ t survive. Take Gay Parita, located 25 miles west of Springfield, Missouri, for example. Built by Fred Mason in 1930 and named after his wife, the Gay Parita served travelers until the building burnt down in the 1950s. Luckily, Gary Turner was not willing to let this piece of history fade from memory. He reconstructed the building on the original plot, slowly filling it over the years with memorabilia, period-correct signage, and other pieces that add to the feeling that this station has been transported directly from the past to present day. Gary’ s daughter Barb now welcomes visitors to the station alongside her husband, George.
Kansas gets a spot in the list of states that Route 66 passes through, but just barely. Only 13 miles of Route
60 / AUGUST 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM