Rock Cafe - Stroud, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 44.937 W 096° 39.271
14S E 712079 N 3958640
Added to the Register in 2001 (#01000661)
Waymark Code: WM9Y4B
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 10/14/2010
Views: 7
The Rock Café, located at 114 W. Main in downtown Stroud, OK opened in 1939. It is a tall, one-story sandstone building, with a flat roof. A large stone chimney stands between two windows on the North wall, West end. The floors inside are sandstone. It has a central door on the North, with two windows on each side.
The Rock Cafe was built almost singlehandedly by Roy Rieves who started the project as his retirement income. He was able to buy this property for $100 in April of 1936. Route 66 was being paved and business was booming along the highway. The project took three years to complete. The sandstone rocks used were salvaged from the building of the highway through Kellyville, and were purchased for $5.00. The foundation is concrete and was hand mixed, load-by-load, in a wheelbarrow.
It was a beautiful and sturdy building when completed in 1939. Roy leased the building out as a restaurant and a series of tenants have operated it since that time. The cafe became a bus stop for Greyhound. The restaurant has flourished for decades, well known and loved by travelers and truckers alike. It is a popular place for motorcyclists, riding The Mother Road.
In 1959. Restaurant operator, Mamie Mayfield, a single mother who lived next door, kept the cafe open 24 hours a day. Truckers from coast to coast knew of Mamie and the Rock Cafe. In the days before CBs and cell phones, truckers’ families could call the Rock Café and leave messages for their trucker to pick up on his next drive through Stoud.
The current owner, Dawn Welch operates the Rock Café 7 days a week. It is a well known stop for travelers along Route 66, and is an excellent example of the businesses which have flourished over the years on Route 66.
Street address:
114 W. Main
Stroud, OK US
74079
County / Borough / Parish: Lincoln County
Year listed: 2001
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Historic function: Commerce/Trade
Current function: Commerce/Trade
Privately owned?: yes
Hours of operation: From: 6:30 AM To: 9:00 AM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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