Wednesday, October 3, 2012

McLean, Texas

 McLean, Texas is one of those sleepy panhandle towns that is just hanging on after the interstate passed it by. It left Route 66 as just a main street through town and not a major thoroughfare and as a result businesses started to go under.  Route 66 came through town in 1927 and the boom days started. There were 1500 residents and 59 business in 1940.  The interstate bypassed it in 1984. Now there are around 800 residents.  I went through there on a Wednesday but it could have been just a quiet Sunday morning if I didn't know better.
 Yet the town does have an active preservation society and they are trying to slowly turn things around.  To drive through is to see a glimpse of the past with quite a few old buildings left from the heyday of "66."

 Abandoned gas stations still exist along the route and are surprisingly intact.
I'm not sure who the "Dirt Road Divas" are or were. Hair salon? Ladies poker club? It was empty as was most of the town.

Just get up and move out but leave your old Valiant behind to bake in the sun.

The museum could use a little fixing up I think.  

This little gem was the first Phillips 66 station in the State of Texas and was built in 1928.

The old car dealers building still remains.  I bet a lot of pickups were sold to local ranchers out of this building over the years

Good news though, they still believe in displaying the Ten Commandments publicly right on Route 66!

The Cactus Inn Motel is still in business and locally family owned.

 The Rexall drug store is still in town along with the old historic Avalon Theatre which is being renovated (below).


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