In the early 1940s, Melton Motor Company was easily recognizable by its Route 66 sign. The dealership was located at the corner of Will Rogers and Catalayah, which is now Lynn Riggs. The sign was a popular background for photographs; one of the family favorites is a picture of 16-year-old Lloyd Melton, posing with his new car in front of it. These photographs are sacred to the family, as none of the current Meltons ever saw the original sign in person.
In cooperation with Claremore’s emphasis on restoring and revitalizing historic Route 66, Melton Dodge has completed a new replica of the sign. Created using a special kind of paint to best mimic the style of the old sign, the artwork is on the dealership’s Gallery building, which is located next to CVS. It is readily seen from both Will Rogers Blvd. and J.M. Davis Blvd. The work was done by local artists Rebecca Burr and Barbie Rodriguez.
Siblings Amy Gordon and Robert Melton spearheaded the project, saying, “We’ve lost so many of our historic Route 66 artifacts. We hope other businesses along Route 66 will locate old photographs and join us in the restoration effort.”
