It's a sunny August Day at Ambler/Becker's Texaco.
"Welcome to Dwight," smiled Bill Flott, a volunteer who greets dozens of visitors each day.
"This was the original road for route 66 right here. The station opened in 1933. It operated until 1999, coincidentally that's 66 years," he smiled.
The station gets its name from longtime manager Basil “Tubby” Ambler, who operated the station from 1938 to 1966. Gas stations in those early years were styled to be homey and inviting to customers, as well as inconspicuous in their residential, suburban surroundings.
"I think this station stood out more than the others is because of the people who ran it. Phil Becker was a kid who lived across the street, he worked here when he was a child and then he bought the place from Tubby. When the interstate when through, he got a big new station on the interstate. He then closed this place up and gave it to Dwight as a visitors center."
Ambler's was the longest continuously operated gas station along Route 66.
"This was a key stop between Chicago and Springfield."
Over the years, the station underwent a number of changes. Windows were removed and added, fresh paint applied, and new roofing.
About 40 volunteers, mostly made up of retirees, work at the old gas station as Dwight historians and greeters.
"We've made every effort to keep it this way," said Flott.
It's a nostalgic step back to a time gone by. An original 1914 Model T fire truck, an old register, oil cans, red vintage gas pumps and a map with push pins of visitors who come from far and wide.
"Here's the chemical truck. It's Dwight's first motorized fire engine. It doesn't have a pump. The guy who ran the station in the 40's brought it here as a service truck and sat it out in front. I think at that time, a lot of houses burned down as it only holds about 80 gallons of water," he laughed. "We still have the original cash register, this was his entire 'computer system', a series of cards, peoples topped by and they charged their gas, he just wrote it down and when they came on Friday night, hopefully they'd pay and he'd just cross off their names. He knew everyone in town," Flott said. "Tubby's family and the Becker family both wanted this place preserved."
It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and received a grant from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in 2002.
Dwight's first fire struck inside the Ambler/Becker Texaco station Dwight, IL
Lisa Fielding/WBBM Newsradio
Maps on the far wall invite visitors to put a pin where they are from. Just this summer, hundreds of pins have filled up all the maps.
"Starting on May 1st, we invite people to sign the guest book and put a pin on the map of where they are from. We have a map of the United stations and of the world."
A family from The Canary Islands stops by during our interview.
"We've come here from Spain, we love America. We started in Chicago and will drive to Los Angeles," said Rueben Diaz, 14, who is traveling with his parents. "We love United States, it's my favorite country."
Flott says he meets people from around the world every day.
"People from Europe primarily. It's August and it's holiday for them right now so we've seen hundreds. From now until October, we'll be busy all day," he said.
Dwight serves as the small town side of the Mother Road.
"I think people from big cities and other countries are awe struck about the surroundings, the tall corn. They haven't seen corn before," Flott laughed. "They love to take pictures here."
Volunteer Bill Flott talks with a family from The Canary Islands about Route 66
Lisa Fielding/WBBM, Newsradio
Flott says even though you can't buy gas there anymore. Ambler's serves as a reminder of days gone by, a simpler time. At one time, it was the last filler up before the big city, a charming piece of history along the famed route 66.
The restored station reopened in 2007 as a visitor's center. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 helping ensure its legacy as a symbol of the golden age of American car travel and Route 66's cultural significance. Flott says a stop here wasn't just about refueling; it was and still is an immersive experience celebrating the spirit of the road and the community that thrives along it.
"When people come here, I ask them 'why did they come here'. People like that it's safe and there's wide open spaces. They love that. I love it too," he smiled.
The Ambler/Texaco station is located at the northeast corner of Old Route 66 and Illinois Route 17 in Dwight, IL.
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The billboard near the parking lot of the Ambler/Becker Texaco Station, Dwight, Illinois
Lisa Fielding/WBBM Newsradio
