Ken Turmel of PostmarkArt fame recently was traveling old Route 66 in western Oklahoma and noted a new building had been constructed in place of the long-closed Hamons Court motel next to the historic Lucille’s gas station near Hydro.
He posted these photos of the new building on his Facebook page:
From this photo by Carleta Latham in 2006, you can see the motel to the right of the gas station:
An email to Rick Koch, owner of the property, went unanswered. However, an office worker at one of the businesses he owns told me the new building is being used for company offices, plus a few spaces are being rented out to other businesses.
Koch, president of Rick Koch Oil in nearby Weatherford, Okla., bought the Lucille’s property after longtime owner and operator Lucille Hamons died in 2000. He restored the gas station but never reopened it, leaving it as a photo op for Route 66 travelers. Koch also built the Lucille’s Roadhouse restaurant in Weatherford, inspired in its design by Lucille’s.
The motel was added shortly after the gas station was bought by W.O. and Ida Waldroup in 1934. Lucille and Carl Hamons acquired the property in 1941 and ran the motel until Interstate 40 opened during the early 1970s.
The motel had been closed and long-neglected for 40 years, and it was apparent long before that the building wasn’t salvageable. Its Hamons Court neon sign was donated by Lucille’s heirs 10 years ago to the Smithsonian Museum for its ongoing “America on the Move” exhibit.
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