Marker Inscription
Architecture, Commerce
Historic Place
Tower Station
The landmarks the nation chose to remember.
About this site
Tower Station is a historic place in Shamrock, Wheeler County, dedicated in 1997. It is one of 2 historic places documented in Wheeler County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 44 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 35.2268, -100.2489 near Shamrock. The nearest cataloged historic site is Tower Building (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Shamrock Methodist Church, First Baptist Church of Shamrock, and Shamrock's St. Patrick's Day Celebration.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #2097001160. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
History
The Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe, built in 1936 by J. M. Tindall and R. C. Lewis for about $23,000, is one of the most celebrated examples of Art Deco architecture on Route 66. Architect Joseph Berry gave the roadside complex—a Conoco station, cafe, and retail space—flared towers, glazed ceramic tile, and neon accents; the cafe's name came from a schoolboy's winning contest entry. After decades of decline the city of Shamrock restored it, and it now serves as a visitor center; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
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Nearby in Wheeler County
Historical Marker
Tower Building
Shamrock · 1994
Historical Marker
Shamrock Methodist Church
Shamrock
Historical Marker
First Baptist Church of Shamrock
Shamrock · 1977
Historical Marker
Shamrock's St. Patrick's Day Celebration
Shamrock · 2016
Historical Marker
Shamrock Water Tower
Shamrock · 2008
Cemetery
Bowers Cemetery
Shamrock · 2012
Cemetery
Shamrock Cemetery
Shamrock · 2016
Historical Marker
Center Cemetery
Twitty · 2013