Route 66 - Part 8 - Yukon & El Reno, Oklahoma
Great sights to see in these towns!
In the ’90s, we were huge Garth Brooks fans. We (my mom and I) saw him in Knoxville & Memphis, TN. We saw a special show with just him acoustic at Dollywood. And we had front-row center seats at the Kentucky State Fair. Y’all my mom even made me some really cool 90’s Garth Brooks Western-style shirts…LOL. If you are a fan then you know Garth’s hometown is Yukon, Oklahoma. Yukon is located on Route 66, so we of course had to make a run-through specifically to find the water tower located there that has “Hometown of Garth Brooks” on it. The address is 1650 W Vandament Ave., Yukon, OK. Sadly, the tower is on private property and the roads we found around it did not give us a good angle to get a picture that was any good. I feel you may get a bet shot from the interstate, but we did not come in that way. This was the best my mom could get from the roads we found.
Rest assured they have a road named after him too! You can find Garth Brooks Blvd with a sign if you are interested in a picture of that. When I got home and did a bit of research for this post, I did find this itinerary to see more things related to Garth. I wish I had this on our trip. We would have probably taken a bit more time around here to find a few more of the things listed there.
That is not all that Yukon has to offer. I am sure there are lots of great things here. It is a good size city. If you are traveling Route 66 this is a great stop for lodging, food, gas, groceries, and bathrooms. We did find some other cool things in town and spent about an hour and a half driving around.
I found this interesting tidbit of information while researching Yukon. Between 1898 and 1902, a large Czechoslovakian population was gravitating to Yukon. Called Bohemians at the time, that population mushroomed, and today Yukon is known as the Czech Capital of Oklahoma.
Our first stop after the water tower was the Yukon’s Best Railroad Museum. It looks like it is only open per appointment. Here is the contact information if this is a place you would like to visit more. I know lots of folks are into railroads and would certainly want to spend a little time here. The address is 1020 W. Oak. or N. 3rd St. & Main St., Yukon, OK - Phone: 405-354-5079. Here is another link with a bit more information. It is located across the street from the Yukon’s Best Flour Mill building.
One of the tips from the book I mention below was the Yukon’s Best Flour Mill. I love some industrial photos, especially if older and having some history. This plant is very photogenic. It is located at E. Main (RT 66) and 3rd St., Yukon, OK.
In 1902 or 1903, John Kroutil and his brother Frank Kroutil, and A. F. Dobry, all of Czechoslovakian heritage, purchased a small coal business that also handled some wheat and corn. In so doing, they acquired the small grain elevator and mill that were built in 1893, giving birth to the Yukon Mill and Grain Company. John Kroutil became president of the mill, with Frank Kroutil as the vice president.
The mill became the largest flour plant in the state and the Southwest. By the 1930s, they had the capacity to produce 2,000 barrels of flour per day and exported "Yukon's Best Flour" to every state in the U.S., with some locations abroad. The Dobry family sold out to the Kroutils in 1933. And A.F. Dobry and family founded Dobry Flour Mills across the street, on the north side of Main Street, where they produced Dobry's Best Flour. Throughout the 20th century, the Kroutil and Dobry operations transferred into different hands. But the grain elevators are still in use today.
I am not certain, but these buildings were across the street, so I am assuming this could have been Dobry’s Best Flour Mill. Don’t hold me to that. Nevertheless, the buildings are amazing and great to take pictures of. We are big Walking Dead fans and we can just imagine some of the gang hiding out with zombies all around in some episodes.
Of course, we drove around downtown just a bit. Don’t downtowns just call for you to at least drive through them? Not really ever done that, well, you should. Give it a try. If I am driving, you can bet we are driving through. And most of the time other drives will do the same, but maybe not quite as much as I will. For me, downtown gives you a quick sense of the community. It tells their story. It immediately lets you know if it is thriving or struggling. No doubt, it can sure give you a glance into their past. I just love them!
In doing so we found another gorgeous mural that we had to get out and get some images of. These colors were so vibrant. They are not pumped up y’all…this is just how it is. And the images are so sensational! This one is called Yukon Sunset. This is one of the prettiest ones I have seen. And we have seen a lot in our travels. It features their state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We were lucky enough to see one of these in real life on our trip. You will also see the wonderful Monarch Butterfly. It is located on the East Side of the Yukon Main Street Office Building at 528 W Main St. The artist Tox Murillo completed it in July 2022 making it pretty recent.
In the book, also listed is the Express Clydesdales Ranch, and we thought that sounded awesome. It is only a few miles outside of town, so we drove on out to visit. We were disappointed to find it was not open. Instead, you have to book a free tour ahead of time. Wish we would have known this beforehand. However, we did get to see some Clydesdales out and get a few pictures of them. This is probably a really cool place to visit. Interested in more info, here is a link for you to book ahead of time. Our visit here was short, but we enjoyed seeing these big guys.
Their story is pretty interesting. It started as a marketing tool for Express Employment Professionals. You can read more here. You can also visit them at 12701 W. Wilshire Blvd., Yukon, OK 73099.
Once you visit here drive down the road just a bit. There is a beautiful site here that we just happen to come across. It was not in the book. We stopped to learn more and take a few pictures. This is a commemoration of Robert A. "Bob" Funk, owner of Express Employment Professionals and owner of Express Ranches, the country's largest Angus beef producer. This is on the ranch and let me tell you this ranch goes on and on and on and on. The biggest ranch we have ever seen. I think I read somewhere it is 164,000 acres in Yukon, but they also have a ranch in Cimarron, NM. Since 1991, Express Ranches has grown into the largest purebred seedstock operation in America, selling the most registered Angus and Hereford bulls and females in the country during its six annual sales at the Yukon Ranch.
Also located at this site is a marker for the Chisholm Trail. I am going to tell you I could vaguely remember something about the trail, but not much. I had to know more as we saw multiple markers on our trip. Texas ranchers using the Chisholm Trail had their cowboys start cattle drives from either the Rio Grande area or San Antonio. They joined the Chisholm Trail at the Red River, at the border between Texas and Oklahoma Territory. They continued north to the rail head of the Kansas Pacific Railway in Abilene, Kansas, where the cattle would be sold and shipped eastward. The trail is named for Jesse Chisholm, a multiracial trader from Tennessee of half Cherokee descent. Together with scout Black Beaver, he developed the trail to transport his goods from one trading post to another. The two men were the first to drive cattle north along this route.
The picture on the left tells how hard and dangerous it was to cross less than a mile from this spot. G.H. Mohle, a drover (a person who drives cattle) recalls losing 116 head of cattle and 3 horses on one trip.
About 20 minutes and 15 miles down the road is El Reno, Oklahoma. About 25 miles West of Oklahoma City this town has all kinds of Route 66 fun. From things you may expect to some surprises. There is a great little downtown area with a small-town feel, a wonderful Route 66 park, old buildings, murals, route markers, and even a fort. We spent about an hour and a half in El Reno as well.
Just before coming into town, we passed these cool plants on S Bickford Ave. I don’t think any are still in operation and not sure what they are. One had a small sign that said, Northern Ag. But for sure a cool place for some photos if you are into industrial images.
The town is not too small though with a population of just over 16,000 people. El Reno, means the reindeer. And nope, reindeer are not native in this town…LOL! So I am not really sure why, but thought that was interesting. It was a railroad town for a bit. There is some interesting history at the link above if you want to know more.
The downtown area of El Reno is full of old buildings. It was fun to drive around for a little while to see what we could. There are places here for fuel, bathrooms, and food. I am not sure about lodging options here, but I am sure there is something nearby if not right around town.
At the corner of W Wade & S. Choctaw Ave, we found this cute little park area for Route 66. This is the perfect place for your photo opportunities. The fencing pictured below with the locks I assume is “Love Locks.” This is a tradition in which padlocks are used as a sign of everlasting love between two people by having them attached to a public structure such as a bridge, fence, or gate by the couple. Across the street was Sid’s Dinner, but it was not mealtime for us, so we skipped eating there.
Our book mentioned Fort Reno and we thought that would be a nice place to visit. We spent about 20 minutes in Fort Reno and we were the only people around. It was closed during our visit as far as the visitor’s center, but you can still walk and drive around. Though we were not able to enter any buildings it was a great visit. You can pretty much drive up to everything. There are great markers for all the buildings. And it is a very easy place to get out and walk around being flat with asphalt. Good place for anyone with mobility issues.
This fort began as a military camp in 1874 in the Indian Wars Era. Buildings you will find here are Officer Quarters, barns, bakery, commissary, machine shop, coal houses, guard house, post office, calvary barracks, chapel, adjutant office, and more. If you are a history buff or just love old buildings, this is a great stop. Especially the day we were here with not a soul around.
To sum this stretch of Route 66 up, I would say it is worth exploring. Historically speaking there is a lot to learn and see in this area. You would have no trouble finding gas, food, groceries, lodging, or restrooms. Everything was very handicap accessible that we did. It is also a great stop for old downtowns, murals, and Route 66 markers. Remember if you are interested in exploring more at the railroad museum or the ranch you have to call ahead. It was worth the time to visit these areas. If you are only interested in Route 66 main points, you could probably skip spending time in Yukon.
Things to know about our trip and the way we traveled. My mom uses a walker and I also have some mobility issues. So hiking is out and limited walking would be happening. Easy access was required for all we did. Things we saw or did would be accessible for anyone with mobility issues, using a walker/cane, or in a wheelchair. Many pictures were made from the car or very nearby the car. Anyone, with any ability, can make this trip and enjoy it immensely. If bathroom breaks are a frequent need that could be an issue in some areas, and I will make notes in all my posts about that.
I hope you will follow me on all my social media pages. On YouTube, I share beautiful videos of our trips with commentary on many. Instagram and TikTok I share quick fun clips of each individual place. And on Facebook, you can find complete photo albums of our trips allowing you to see much more than I can post here. Substack is the only place you will find complete details and itineraries. These will be available for a fee once all segments are posted.