A group of preservation-minded members in Canute, Oklahoma, wants to restore the historic Cotton Boll Motel neon sign before Route 66’s centennial in 2026, among doing other projects.
The Daily Yonder talked to Kathy Schones, a resident of the western Oklahoma village:
“We would like to get something done to that sign because it’s still a big attraction for our town,” she said, adding that even painting would help spruce it up. The Cotton Boll Hotel opened in 1960 and closed a few decades later after Interstate 40 bypassed the town.
The group also hopes to move an old jail to a park and fix some traffic lights that line the street. Painting murals on buildings is another idea. About ten to 12 people regularly attend the preservation meetings, she said. The group has about $12,000 from donations and a GoFundMe drive, but hopes to raise more.
On June 4, the community will come together for a Route 66 Day, which will include a parade and town-wide garage sale, among other events, said Doug Schones.
The Oklahoman newspaper published a story 16 years ago about the family that owns the motel property.
“A lot of the townspeople want it to stay – and it’s kind of sentimental for us, too,” said Pat Webb, standing outside his home and under the imposing design of a giant cotton boll – which clearly beckons passers-by in daytime and still would at night if he chose to light it up.
Webb, 45, an oil-field worker, bought the former motel about three years ago, shortly after its last owner closed it. Webb lives in room No. 1 with his wife, Cheryl, and Scooter, their spunky schnauzer. Their living quarters also includes the former office – their “breakfast nook and plant room” – and they use the other rooms for storage.
(Image of the Cotton Boll Motel sign in Canute, Oklahoma, by Thomas Hawk via Flickr)