Burglars apparently broke into the historic Threatt Filling Station near Luther, Oklahoma, that’s undergoing renovations.
A local police agency said it is calling the FBI to help investigate.
According to a Facebook post from the Luther Police Department, the thieves broke into the station to steal power tools.
They stole a trailer and in the process drug metal fencing almost 3/4 a mile down County Line Rd to NE 178th. There they dropped the trailer and left the scene near County Line Rd and Hall Rd.
Due to this being a Federally recognized historical building our agency has reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigations for assistance and the possibility of filing federal charges for those involved.
Renovations on the nearly century-old station began in February. A foundation was established some time ago to help in that endeavor.
The Threatt family wants to reopen the station as a visitors center and interpretive center before Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
The Threatt Filling Station likely was the first Black-owned and operated gas station on Route 66.
A refuge for Black travelers during the Jim Crow racial segregation era, the nearby Threatt farm also reportedly served as a safe haven for families fleeing the 1921 Greenwood Massacre in Tulsa.
The bungalow-style station made of rock from the Threatt farm’s quarry was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The Threatt Filling Station operated until the early 1960s, when it was converted into living quarters.
(Image of the Threatt Filling Station in 2014 by Melodbit via Wikimedia Commons)
