|
our general store was located on route
66 in arcadia, oklahoma. notice the old round barn in the
background. at the time this photograph was taken, several
years after we had sold the store and moved away, the barn
was in such a state of deterioration that it needed bracing.
the barn was our next door neighbor, and even though it
was not on our property,we always felt that it was in our
backyard. the store building was in some ways reminiscent
of the old spanish missions. the store, attached flat-roofed
garage, and outhouse (no longer there) were all stucco.
other owners, through the years, added a carport to the
side of the garage and probably, because of deterioration,
eventually removed the outhouse and steps that led up to
the yard. with modernization, the outhouse was probably
not the neatest thing to have around, however, in its day,
it came in handy for some route 66 travelers.
it is interesting to us that our old
store building appears in many famous photos that have been
taken of the round barn. some give a side view, while others
give a glimpse of the back of the building. sometimes you
can only see a little white to the right, or east, of the
barn, but we know what it is. it is our old store building
and home. and, why not? one of the curiosities about the
barn is that it is in town. you have to know the history
about the fire that almost destroyed a thriving little oklahoma
town to understand why. it is too bad that a major assault
has been done to the side of the building. now, cars and
whatever can be driven inside for the current business there.
maybe someday this building will be restored or rebuilt
in some way.
|
