I discovered the old feed mill in Johnson City, Texas, in 2008. It had been converted into a complex of businesses that were no longer in operation and it was already in disrepair. I took it upon myself to attempt to photograph it. Recently I came back to these photos and realized there seems to be very few photos of it on the internet, so I decided to process my photos for a story. The complex has now been turned into the Science Mill and it is from their site that I got its history.

This photo is the widest view of the complex that I have, so I decided to start with it. As you can see, someone went to a huge amount of work decorating the buildings. Stay tuned for many photos of the complex I took in 2008, 2009 and one last shot of what the street side looked like in 2018. The Science Mill was established in 2012.

Taos Pueblo is a National Historic Landmark and a World Heritage Site. According to the Taos Pueblo website “the multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years.” You can read an interesting introduction to the site on the nps.gov Taos Pueblo website.

Although it was closed to the public for a while during the covid pandemic, it is now open again. These photographs were taken in June 2009. Click on any photo for a larger view.

The Taos area is very interesting, but the Taos Plaza itself is, for me, a one-time visit place. It is an artsy community, so if you want to look at or purchase local art, and view New Mexico art in galleries, you will find it interesting. Articles about Taos after saying art, museums, shops, restaurants send you out of the square to what I agree are interesting places: the Taos Pueblo, Rancho de Taos Plaza, and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. I’ve already done a post for Rancho de Taos and I will prepare one (or more) on the Taos Pueblo.

This is not the town of Taos itself, but an area outside of town called Ranchos de Taos. The Ranchos de Taos Plaza is easily accessible and I think very interesting. The centerpiece is San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church. The original mission church was begun in 1772 and the current building was completed in 1815. It is a National Historic Landmark.

In 1840 Matt Field ¹ wrote of Ranchos de Taos during his travels through New Mexico: “This town called the ranch lies at the base of a gigantic mountain and is watered by a swift stream that rushes from the ravine… It contains about 300 houses, and those are built completely together, forming a wall, enclosing a large square, in the center of which stands a church.”

Tucumcari is so much fun it deserves a post for itself.

According to Wikipedia, in 1901, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built a construction camp in the western portion of modern-day Quay County. Originally called Ragtown, the camp became known as “Six Shooter Siding”, due to numerous gunfights. It was renamed Tucumcari in 1908.

We start off with our favorite place, the Blue Swallow Motel, with a night shot and a daytime shot. Most of these photos were taken in September 2021. Click on any image to see a larger view.

Here we are, September 24, 2021, on Route 66 in Texas. Our first stop is Shamrock, Texas, probably most famous for its beautiful art deco style Conoco Tower Station and U Drop Inn Cafe.

Since we came north in Texas on US281, our trip on Route 66 in Oklahoma started at Bridgeport and ended at the Texas border (near Texola), a total of about a hundred miles.

Our first stop after the Pony Bridge, is Provine Service Station in Hydro, OK. The station was operated by Lucille Hamons from 1941 until her death in 2000. It is on the US National Register of Historic Places. During the Great Depression, she earned the nickname “Mother of the Mother Road.” You can read more about it on Wikipedia.

After the interstate bypassed them in 1972, Lucille was left alone to operate the business.

“After Carl got a truck to earn more money, I was alone here to run this place. During this time, people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Oklahoma were travelling the road to the West Coast to find jobs. … Many times I would have people stop that were completely broke, and I would feed them and give them gas in exchange for some appliance or other articles of value they might have. Sometimes I would just buy their old broke-down cars, and then they would catch the bus and head on west looking for work.”
— Lucille Hamon

We have reached Route 66 (I-40) but we have to take a small sidetrip to see the Bridgeport Bridge. This famous bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and was in the 1939 film “Grapes of Wrath”.

“Although its official name is William H. Murray Bridge, this distinct landmark spanning the South Canadian River has long been known as Pony Bridge for its pony trusses, which are bridge trusses that don’t connect at the top. Named on the National Register of Historic Places, the longest bridge on Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 spans 3,944 feet with 38 trusses. On your next Mother Road adventure, be sure to stop here for a picture-worthy moment on the same bridge that made an appearance on the 1939 film “The Grapes of Wrath.”

A few more photos before we get to Route 66!

Still on the way to Route 66, we make a stop at Fort Richardson State Park, Jacksboro, Texas, on Route 281. Fort Richardson was established in 1867 to protect settlers along the Texas frontier.