Route 66 - Texola

Old, apparently abandoned motor court
in Texola.

Drive west on Route 66 from Erick  and you will come to little Texola, the last town before Texas. It was established in 1901 and sits near the 100th Meridian. Back in the day, the 100th Meridian was designated as where the American desert started and banks would not lend money for farms beyond this line. For that reason, the town has been surveyed eight different times over the years. Many of its few citizens have lived in both Oklahoma and Texas without ever having moved!

In the early days, the town changed names when the newest survey was finished - from Texokla to Texoma, and Texola. A town election finally chose the permanent name of Texola and that's how it has stayed no mater whether the town was located in Oklahoma or Texas.

Long-abandoned service station on
Route 66 in Texola

At one time there was a big sign with the town's name which welcomed travelers. In 1936 though, unknown pranksters changed the "T" to an "S" and within a couple of hours, hundreds of strangers were stopping in "Sexola" asking for directions to the cathouse. That didn't go over very well with the conservative Baptists that made up the majority of the town's citizens and they quickly took care of the situation. Only the foundation of the old sign remains.

Today, there are a number of interesting ruins to see and lots of photo opportunities, but even the old territorial jail has no customers.

There ain't no place
Like this place
Near this place
So this must be the place

Go to the first Route 66 entry here.

Or go to the first entry of each state:

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