Historic Route 66 - Soulsby's Service - Mount Olive, Illinois, USA. - National Scenic Byways on Waymarking.com

This station was built in 1926 by Henry Soulsby and his son Russell, & Daughter Ola. Together the family ran the Service Station until it closed in 1993. For over 65 years in total, Henry, Russell & Ola pumped Shell Gas.

This station is supported by the National Parks Service, Route 66 corridor preservation scheme, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Plans are underway to open the station as a museum.

Soulsby's Service Station is located on the southwest corner of First St. and Old Route 66 at 710 West First St. in Mount Olive, IL.

"The Soulsby Station is an excellent example of a house with canopy form. By the time Mr. Soulsby built his station in 1926, the leading oil companies had been hiring architects to design stations that would blend well with neighborhoods to minimize local opposition to the crudeness often associated with gas stations. Mr. Soulsby designed the building himself, taking into account these trends and blending well with the surrounding area.
Route 66 was a great agent of progress and development, but its very success helped spell its doom. In the late 1950s, Interstate 55 began supplanting it in Illinois. In Mount Olive, the Soulsby Station ended up a mile away from the new thoroughfare. In 1991, the Soulsby Station stopped pumping gas but continued to check oil, sell soda pop, and greet the ever-growing legion of Route 66 tourists. Sending everyone off with a wink and a wave, Russell and Ola closed the doors for good in 1993. " Text Source: (visit link)

Program: America's Byways Website: [Web Link] Official Name: Historic route 66.

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