Hole in the Wall Conoco Station, but Ethyl does not live there anymore. This tiny, former gas station, looks a little like a film set, but it is real and was built in 1929/30, by F.D. Mitchell, probably another casualty of the interstate. It is said that Bonnie & Clyde may have bought their gas here.
"Allen's Conoco Fillin' Station located on the corner of Route 66 is a blast from the past. The tiny station was built out from the exterior wall of the final building on main street.
Now serving as museum and gift shop owners, Linda and Bobby Allen spend their days comparing stories of the Mother Road with travelers passing by. After visiting the station you can walk across the street to Dairy King and purchase time-honored treats for your sweet tooth." text source: (
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"COMMERCE — When Bobby and Linda Allen bought a deserted Conoco gas station last November, it was for posterity.
"So many places are disappearing on Route 66,” Linda Allen said.
After almost nine months of weekend painting and repairing the gas station, built in 1931, the couple opened "Allen's Fillin Station” earlier this month.
"We don't know how long it sat empty, but we think it has been at least 20 years,” Allen said.
The restored gas station and convenience store is at the corner of Main Street, across from the Commerce police station, on the old Route 66 path. Pumps are being installed this weekend, Allen said.
The station is open on weekends and after church on Sunday, she said.
They sell mostly souvenirs, candy and soft drinks, Allen said.
"We are trying to get some Route 66 souvenirs,” Allen said.
One day, the station had 28 visitors from foreign countries — all wanting to see a Route 66 landmark, she said.
Allen said she plays up the fact that the gas station is about a half-mile from a landmark where Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow and their gang killed Cal Campbell, a Commerce constable.
"I wonder if they (Bonnie and Clyde) ever stopped by,” Allen said.
The couple has learned from old-timers that the former gas station was also owned by Phillips 66 in 1938 and at one time was called White Castle Beauty Shop.
Bobby also owns a mini-storage and tire station in Peoria, and Linda is a supervisor at Oklahoma Leather Company in Miami." Text Source: (
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