Preservation Oklahoma, Inc.

We were lucky to get to jump into the Route 66 Centennial Caravan as it made its way across Oklahoma last week. The theme was preservation, and we will be sharing stories from the road soon.

Wrapping up the 2026 Most Endangered Places list is original pavement of Route 66. As the Mother Road celebrates its 100th anniversary, there are some alignments with original pavement that are endangered. The Ribbon Road, an early alignment of Rt 66, stretches from Miami to Anton. It’s the only stretch of original 9 feet wide pavement on the entire route. Another portion near Calumet and a portion southwest of Clinton are also included. With the road reaching 100 years old, maintenance is needed like any other road. However, resources of the counties maintaining those portions don’t always facilitate true preservation of the original concrete. Photos courtesy of Rhys Martin.

Next on the 2026 Most Endangered Places list is Lodge Laska in Oklahoma City. Also known as the Czech Hall of Oklahoma City and Bohemian Hall, this structure was built in 1924 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The Lodge is a rare, surviving, intact early 20th century social hall. It’s listed as endangered due to its proximity to development areas around it, but the structure is also failing rapidly.

Historic cemeteries are the next sites highlighted on the 2026 Most Endangered Places list. Two locations were chosen to represent many cemeteries across the state. Bruner Cemetery, near Seminole, and Earl Cemetery, near Mannsville. Many of these cemeteries are no longer maintained by municipal entities and rely on local residents or family members to maintain. Some are being encroached by new development. Along with the two that are highlighted here, there are many more across the state that are deteriorating and in need of preservation and restoration.

Earl Cemetery was one of, if not the first, cemetery in the Johnston County area. The oldest marker preservationists have found is 1882, and they fear there are many lost graves. There are pieces of the monuments strewn throughout the area, and many markers are moved from their original spot.

Bruner Cemetery is the final resting place of many Black Seminoles who arrived in Oklahoma from Florida on April 13, 1839, signing in at Ft. Gibson. The cemetery site has been divided into two sections, with one being maintained and the other not being maintained.

Next on the 2026 Most Endangered Places list is the Ingalls Hotel in Ingalls. It is believed to be the original building from the 1920s. The nomination to the State Register from 1980 describes it as “a 1920s building used as a hotel and Masonic lodge during oil boom days.” Seems that the Masonic lodge did some renovations/alterations to replicate the original hotel for reenactments the town once held, but there’s no information showing how much it has strayed from the original design. Today, Ingalls is described as a ghost town. A notorious gunfight between members of the Doolin/Dalton gang and law enforcement occurred near the hotel in 1893.

Oklahoma is the heart of Route 66. More drivable miles, more iconic stops, more history than anywhere else on the Mother Road.

This year it turns 100, and Congress has a chance to help preserve it.

H.R. 5470/S. 2887 would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, securing preservation for the small businesses, landmarks, and communities that have defined this stretch of American road for a century.

Oklahoma's heritage deserves a champion in Congress. Tell your Members of Congress to be one.

Visit https://savingplaces.org/stories/route-66-in-oklahoma to learn other ways you can celebrate and advocate in Oklahoma for Route 66 in 2026!

Today’s Most Endangered Location is the Bert McCarty Furniture Building in Ponca City. It was built in 1920 and is a contributing structure for the Downtown Ponca City Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a two-story stucco-clad building with two storefronts. In 1909, Bert McCarty purchased a furniture business he had previously worked in, later adding undertaking as well. Around 1920, he took over this building and moved his businesses there. It’s endangered because it’s rapidly deteriorating due to a leaking roof, falling rear facade and asbestos. If it is lost, it will be a large missing piece in historic downtown Ponca City.

We would love to have you as a member of Preservation Oklahoma! More details at PreservationOK.org/partnership