ThetownofDavenportis about to get a bit brighter.
In the latest round of the Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program, Davenport was awarded $658,000 to install neon signs as an extension of the project in Stroud. Additionally, work is coming along on renovations for the new Welcome Center right on Route 66 and the new town sign is complete. Both were part of a previous Route 66 grant.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Commission awarded a total of about $3.3 million in Round 5 at their regular meeting in April.
The neon signs were made available to businesses located on Route 66 or the historic Broadway, said Grant Administrator Leslie Wilbourne, who added that the collaborative nature with Stroud helped get the award.
“It was the only grant application during Round Five in which all nine commissioners ranked it in their top 15,” Wilbourne said. “So it definitely showed that the commissioners really knew it is collaborative. They’re working together, and it’s creating a unique experience when you’re coming down this part of Route 66.
When it’s said and done, there will only be about a three-mile gap between where Davenport’s neon signs end and Stroud’s begin.
The Welcome Center and town sign were part of Round Two in the grant program, in which Davenport won $395,500 in summer 2024. Wilbourne said that former interim Town Administrator Brandon Stancell had a vision of making the sign look nicer and similar to the new sign in Chandler. However, many of the residents were unhappy about losing the mural on it.
It was then that they found a compromise. The original painter, Bob Palmer, would paint two new murals on the sides of the center.
A lot of work has been done to breathe new life into the historic gas station. Wilbourne said they repaired the floors and painted the walls emerald green with a red racing strip to keep with the original Texaco colors. Also, a donor came forward and redid the ceilings when funds weren’t enough.
“We would have been finished probably about two weeks ago, but when someone comes and says, ‘Hey, it’ll be so much cooler. It’ll be warmer, if we do the ceiling for you,’” she said. “So they came and obviously did a great job.”
The center will have three Texaco logos on display, including the one that was in use in 1933 which was when the original Texaco building was built. There will also be a dedication wall, honoring everyone who played a role in getting the grant and project off the ground. At the back, Wilbourne said there will be a special part of the building honoring veterans.
The cafe will feature tables and extra plug outlets, should visitors want to stay a bit and recharge -- literally and figuratively. A few more murals are set to be painted inside as well, honoring the many decades of history that the building has stood through.
The grants are just the latest in a long line that Wilbourne has brought to Lincoln County. Since starting her business about three years ago, she’s helped win 24 grants equaling roughly $7.7 million. It all started with helping her husband, Jeff Wilbourne and town administrator of Meeker, apply for grants while she was taking a break from her previous job.
She said at that time, she thought that she would help Meeker while working on her PhD, but life had other plans.
“All of a sudden, my husband’s getting a text from the town attorney. ‘Oh, I put you on the Stroud agenda. Oh, I put you on the Davenport agenda.’ And I’m like, what is he doing?,” she said, chuckling. “He’s like, well, apparently other people need help too.”
For a year, she helped with grants without winning any or getting paid.The time came when Wilbourne’s husband told her that while she tried really hard, they couldn’t continue like this. So, Leslie said if the last two grants she applied for didn’t come in, she’d quit.
“If I win, I keep doing it. If I don’t win, we say we gave it a try,” she said.
It just so happened that she won the grants and the rest is history.