Sinclair Refinery on Southwest Boulevard (Route 66) in west Tulsa, two miles from the starting point on my quest to photograph Route 66 across Oklahoma, mile by precious mile.
Tulsa’s history is inextricably linked with that of Route 66. Cyrus Stevens Avery — the federal bureaucrat known as the “Father of Route 66″ for his role in bringing the road into being and establishing the path it would follow — was from Tulsa, but beyond that, the road and the city both grew out of the popularity of the automobile.
Tulsa is, to a large extent, the town that oil built; many of the downtown area’s fabulous Art Deco skyscrapers and ornate churches were funded by oil barons, and the area’s “black gold” derives much of its value from its use in fueling the internal combustion engine. The Sinclair refinery is one of several in Tulsa. This particular image was shot from the parking lot of Goodwill Industries.
Emily
We were in Tulsa on President’s Day weekend, and my husband pointed out the Route 66 signs. It was great weather, and we loved our trip. We live in South-Central Kansas.
By: HELEN on February 27, 2008
at 3:15 am
I traveled on Rte. 66 with my parents as a kid. And, I still maintain an affinity for the memories our nation maintains of the highway. You have an attractive blog. I found it because I belong to a Google search ability that gives me daily reports on “Goodwill Industriies.” I’ve been in the Goodwill movement over 25 years.
I just wanted to correct one statement in your piece. While Tulsa, OK is a great place, it is NOT the national HQ of Goodwill Industries. The closest we come to a national HQ is a national office that serves members. That is in Rockville, Maryland.
Otherwise, keep up the good/interesting work.
Bob Holderbaum
By: Bob Holderbaum on February 27, 2008
at 11:05 am
Thanks for the correction, Bob. I updated the post to remove the error.
By: redforkhippie on February 27, 2008
at 4:31 pm