City Looking To Add Historic Markers Along Route 66

Tulsans have been getting their kicks on Route 66 for decades. Now the City of Tulsa is searching for a designer to make the Mother Road a bigger draw for Okies and out-of-towners.

Lovers of the old road are ecstatic that the new markers will highlight Tulsa landmarks - like the Circle Cinema and the Meadow Gold sign.

Rhys Martin with the Oklahoma Route 66 Association hopes historic markers will inspire people to come to Tulsa and stay a while.

"One of the biggest questions I get from travelers that are coming through is, 'Why should I stop in Tulsa?' They don't know much about it," he said. "When there's a historic marker, people will stop and look at it and learn about the city and its history."

Martin said you can see a little bit of everything on Route 66.

"You get small towns, you get farming communities, mom and pop businesses, it really gives you everything America has to offer," he said.

One of those mom and pop businesses, Ann's Bakery, has been open on the Main Street of America since 1938. Shannon Harris said since her grandparents opened the sweet shop, people from all over the world have stopped by.

"Australia, England, Germany, even from here in the states, that come here," she said.

Harris said that's all thanks to its location along Route 66 - but she'd love to see a marker placed near Ann's, so people don’t forget about her family bakery that’s been around for close to 80 years.

"I think this side of town, of Tulsa's, been hit a little harder, with people going south," she said. "It would be a great thing for this part of Tulsa, this older part."

Proposals for the markers are due to the city on June 14.