Betty Wheatley and the late Allen Threatt Sr. were inducted Saturday into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
Wheatley owned the Dairy Ranch Drive-In in Afton, Oklahoma, for more than four decades. Threatt founded the Threatt Filling Station, one of the few Black-owned such businesses during that era, near Luther.
The ceremony included Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell as the guest speaker and Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin as the presenter.
More about Threatt from the station’s website:
The Threatt Filling Station was constructed circa 1915 by Allen Threatt Sr.
The Threatt Filling Station sold Conoco products for at least a portion of the Stations service life. A grocery store was added in 1935, providing produce and staples for locals who didn’t want to drive to the city for small grocery items, foreshadowing the modern convenience store.
In 1937, a small cafe was added. The station became a local gathering spot and a well-known safe haven for African American travelers.
Threatt died in 1950 at age 57. He is buried in Tillman Cemetery in Luther.
The station closed sometime in the 1970s, when it was converted into living quarters. It now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Threatt’s descendants seek to renovate the property and turn it into a local museum.
Wheatley operated the Dairy Ranch Drive-in for 42 years until it finally closed for good after the 2000 summer season. In 2004, the restaurant and the adjacent Buffalo Ranch were demolished to make way for a Buffalo Ranch Travel Center.
Allen Threatt III accepted the award and plaque. Family members also attending were Edward Threatt Sr., Nerissa Berry and C. David Threatt.
Wheatley did not attend the ceremony, as she resides in an assisted-living center. However, a delegate from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association will present her the Hall of Fame plaque.
Anthony Reichardt during the early 1990s interviewed Wheatley when she still was running the restaurant:
—
I many times stopped at the Dairy Best just as Anthony did and enjoyed the same Buffalo Cheeseburger, Fries, and Limeade order. Those were the days! The new Buffalo Ranch Travel Plaza just ain’t the same.