A native of Yukon, Oklahoma, has organized an online petition to prevent a big development from tearing down its 100-year-old grain mill and “Yukon’s Best Flour” sign. The petition has drawn more than 2,200 signatures as of Monday evening.
Brittany Rae Scott launched the petition on Change.org about a week ago to oppose the Yukon Technology Center project, which includes a five-story, high-end office park, apartment building, two multi-level parking garages, and a hotel and convention center on Main Street.
Scott’s goal was to have 2,500 signatures, and probably will meet it.
Scott wrote:
Bringing a project like this to life on the Mother Road will inevitably push out our well established small business owners & even some Yukon residents. On the behalf of those who cringe at the idea of “big city accommodations” taking over our town, I strongly urge everyone to consider what this will bring to our backyards.
Yukon is my home. I grew up in the area, my mother grew up here, & 3 generations back from her.. My mother’s father, my grandfather, worked the Mil. This is true for many of you as well. When Oklahomans from all over the state think of Yukon, they picture the famous “Yukon’s Best Flour” sign lighting the way through our beloved town. This is what puts us on the map. This is our history. For many generations, we have admired our Silos from near & far all while tourist from all over come through with plans to take pictures of/with these incredible monuments. Tearing down our Silos, or even covering them up by any means would be crushing for so many. Throughout our country, we are sadly witnessing more & more of our history being erased & ultimately forgotten. Please ask yourself, is this what we want for The Main Street of America?
Scott also makes reference to the Millers, which is the nickname for the high school’s sports teams. So not only is the mill a major landmark in the town, but it plays a major part in its identity.
The petition will be presented to the city council, which undoubtedly has been put in a difficult spot. According to KOCO-TV, at least one city councilor has indicated opposition to the project.
David Jones, a Yukon native who’s leading the project, told an area TV station last month there are “currently no plans to take down the Mill or the neon sign that sits on top of it.” However, an artist’s drawings of the proposed site show no signs of the mill on the property where it sits, with plenty of new buildings on the land instead.
The Yukon’s Best mill remains the tallest structure in the city. The “Yukon’s Best Flour” sign on top of the elevator was restored in 2013 after a $175,000 fundraiser.
According to an article in The Oklahoman newspaper, the mill structure in Yukon was built in 1916. The Kroutil brothers produced Yukon’s Best Flour and other products until about 1970, when they sold the operation to competing Shawnee Milling Co. The mill closed two years later.
(Image of the Yukon’s Best Flour mill in Yukon, Oklahoma, by Steve Walser via Flickr)
“currently no plans to take down the Mill or the neon sign that sits on top of it.” CURRENTLY!!!!
It sets in the heart of Yukon both physically & mentally. The town is identified by it. The Route 66 tourists would have no reason to stop & spend time or money in Yukon if we didn’t have it. So we vote to keep the mills. It’s part of the towns history.
Is there anything in Yukon other than the flour mill? Removing it would be like yanking the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia, the Statue of Liberty from NY Harbor, or the Golden Gate Bridge from SFO. More or less.
Yukon needs to KEEP its history. The Yukon’s Best Flour Mill is iconic and part of the city’s cultural heritage. Route 66 enthusiasts know Yukon because of the Yukon’s Best Flour SIGN! It make no sense, to consider any of kind of plan. The leadership in Yukon are NUTS to even consider the parking garage / tech center. Those people need to look elsewhere.