Afton Station Packard Museum facts for kids
Afton Station Packard Museum
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| Established | 1999 |
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| Location | 12 SE First Street, U.S. Route 66, Afton, Oklahoma |
| Type | Packard automotive museum |
| Collection size | 18 Packard and other vintage automobiles |
| Visitors | 6000/yr (2012) |
| Owner | Laurel and David Kane |
The Afton Station Packard Museum was a special place in Afton, Oklahoma. It was a museum for cars, especially old Packard cars. This museum was located right on U.S. Route 66. It used to be an old gas station from the 1930s called Eagle D-X.
Inside the museum, you could see a showroom with 18 Packard cars and other cool old vehicles. There was also a collection of items related to Route 66. Outside, old D-X gas pumps were restored and stood in front of the station. A sign with the "Approved Packard Service" logo was also proudly displayed.
Afton Station was more than just a car museum. It was also a helpful stop for travelers on Route 66. People came from all over the world, like Europe, Australia, and Asia. The station gave out maps, guidebooks, and souvenirs. It also shared information about "The Mother Road," which is another name for Route 66.
Contents
The History of Afton Station
Early Days of Afton
The town of Afton was started in 1886. It was named after the River Afton in Scotland. Afton used to have a big facility for repairing trains. This included a turntable and a roundhouse, which are buildings for turning and storing locomotives. However, this train repair facility closed in the 1930s. This happened soon after U.S. Route 66 was officially named in the area in 1926.
The Gas Station's Journey
The Eagle D-X gas station, where the museum later opened, started in 1933. Over the years, it sold different types of fuel under various owners. In the 1940s, when Route 66 was very busy, this station was one of three gas stations in just a four-block area of the highway. A photo from 1981 shows the station as a building with a tin roof and three modern D-X gas pumps outside.
A Town's Changes
Afton depended a lot on Route 66 for its economy. But in 1957, Interstate 44 in Oklahoma was built. This new highway bypassed Afton, meaning cars no longer drove through the town as much. Because of this, many businesses in Afton started to close. Motels and cafés shut down forever. A famous place called the Buffalo Ranch Trading Post closed in 1997 and was torn down in 2002.
Restoring Afton Station
In 1999, Laurel and David Kane bought the old D-X station. They wanted to restore it and use it to display their collection of Packard car items. At that time, Afton was a much smaller town, with only about 800 people and a few local stores. It had been greatly affected by the new interstate highway.
Laurel Kane explained why they chose that spot:
"I knew I wanted a property on Route 66 — that was one of the reasons for living here. We kept driving through Afton to get here and there. There were about three vintage stations still standing... We really liked (this one) because it was in (better) condition than the others, and it had room for the cars."
In 2009, Afton Station was recognized as the "Route 66 Business of the Year." This award was given at the International Route 66 Festival in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Museum's Closing
Sadly, Laurel Kane passed away in 2016, and David Kane passed away in 2018. After their deaths, the collection of Packards and other items from Afton Station were sold. The property itself was put up for public auction on June 29, 2019.
See also
- America's Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio
