Transportation
Early modes of transportation relied heavily on the railroad and the
horse. The first Edmond streets graded were First and Second Street
from the railroad tracks to Broadway, and Broadway from First to Second
Street. An interesting business of the time was the James Taylor &
Frank Dawson “Hotel de Hoss” livery stable. During the 1920’s,
brick walks replaced wooden boardwalks downtown.
In
1905, the first car, a Tonneau Runabout, arrived in Edmond. This car
was owned by Dr. O’Toole. The first auto filling station, repair
shop and Ford Dealership was built in Edmond in 1916. By 1939, one
could purchase 13 gallons of gas for $1.84. It was not until 1952
that Edmond had traffic stop lights which were located on Second Street
at the intersections of Boulevard and Broadway.
In 1911 the Interurban Trolley line extended to Edmond and helped
to usher in a new era of trolley transportation for Edmond. A one-way
fare from Edmond to Oklahoma City was only 25 cents. Many Central
State students rode the trolley to and from Edmond. The trolley operated
until 1946.
Route 66 is often referred to as the “Mainstreet of America”.
Its path in Edmond entered from the east on Second Street to Broadway
turning south into Oklahoma City. The simulated brick flooring of
this exhibit represents the brick paving along certain sections of
the highway. The Route 66 satellite exhibit is a part of the Route
66 Transportation Project sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society,
funded in part through the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act as administered by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
This satellite exhibit (as well as others in Miami, Claremore, Sapulpa,
Arcadia, Chandler, Yukon, El Reno and Elk City) were planned in conjunction
with the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
Many popular sites were located along Route 66 in Edmond including
the Wide-A-Wake Cafe, Royce Cafe, Bradbury Corner, Reynolds Tourist
Camp, Camp Dixie and Palacine Gas Station. Historic photographs and
artifacts relating to Route 66 in Edmond are included in the Route
66 exhibit case.
