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.

In November 2018 we went north on 281 Mineral Wells and Decatur, TX. That is the same route we took in 2021 to get to Route 66 just west of Oklahoma City. These photos were taken in November 2018.

Mineral Wells became famous for its healing water attracting tourists, and the Baker Hotel opened in 1929 as an international resort destination and was for many years considered one of the country’s most glamorous resorts. But things changed, and the hotel finally closed in 1972. The good news is the hotel is currently being renovated.