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This beautiful old gas station was
built in 1932 and served travelers on
Route 66 until the mid 1960s when it
stopped selling gas. This station then
was used as a body shop until it closed
its doors in 1975. Years of neglect took
their toll on this old Standard station.
The station would have disappeared if it
had not been for the preservation efforts
of the Illinois Route 66 Association and
their Preservation Committee. A total of
$55,000, from grants, matching funds
and donations was raised to restore
this station to its former glory - not
bad for a grass roots effort. John and
Lenore Weiss were the driving force
behind this restoration. These two,
along with the dedicated volunteers
from the Preservation Committee, did
what others said couldn’t be done.
Hampton Inn® even donated $10,000
for this worth while project. In fact it
could be said that the Odell Station
preservation project was the start of
Hampton’s interest in Route 66 with
their Save-A-Landmark® project. Now
this station has been restored to its
former glory. The Odell Station may not
sell gas anymore, but it has become a
Mecca for the Route 66 road wanderer
and is the focus of many car rallies and
motorcycle tours. It also makes one
heck of a photo opportunity as I hope
you can tell from these pict W&W2