Couple renovates former Marathon Gas and Oil Station in Miami, Okla.
MIAMI, OKLA. – The saying “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” comes alive as a young couple in Northeast Oklahoma work to uphold the tradition of the Mother Road.
Eli Chenowith, along with his fiance, Tori Lofgren, have revitalized two 1920s era gas stations along Route 66 in Miami, Okla., as well as established a growing shaved ice/coffee business along the route.
Eli’s love of Route 66 stems back to his high school years. In 2016 he bought an existing shaved ice stand. It first sat next to the KuKu Restaurant. Now it resides at 1931 North Main, near Los Dos Amigos restaurant.
The stand, known as The Frozen Elephant, started with shaved ice. Eli and Tori have added flavored coffee drinks – using OGahPah Coffee produced by the Quapaw Tribe; as well as smoothies, smoothie bowls, tea, energy drinks and later this year, Pineapple Whip.
The stand led the couple to talk about other opportunities – including purchasing their first brick and mortar building – the former Marathon Gas and Oil Station, located at 331 South Main, in 2019.
The building, which was originally built in 1929, was first renovated to serve as a storage facility for The Frozen Elephant. Later it became a place to host “pop-up” house and garden plant sales throughout the growing season.
While the couple plan to continue to use it for pop-up sales on various days in 2024, the station is being renovated to become a studio apartment Airbnb for travelers looking for an authentic Route 66 experience.
When it opens later this spring, it will feature a studio apartment, with a petite bathroom and a small kitchenette.
The Marathon station was built with locally sourced materials – including roof tiles containing lead from the nearby mines in Picher.
Eli said at one time there were six stations like this one, built within the Dallas Metro Area. Of the six, this is the only one still remaining – a fact Eli is proud to note.
Eli knew he wanted to expand the footprint of his business along south Main, but multiple things needed to fall into place – including the purchase of several pieces of property.
In 2020, they were able to acquire a piece of property next to the Marathon station, to become the new location for the Hudson Oil & Gas Station – a station which existed in Miami since 1923..
Purchased in 2019, Eli bought the station after it sat in a secondary location near the Miami Civic Center. It was moved there after the city relocated it from its home on Route 66. It previously sat along the route where Walgreens now resides.
With the help of a local company, Hart Moving, Eli had the station moved to its new home at 327 South Main, next to the Marathon Gas and Oil Station. Officials with Ornamental Iron in Miami helped reconstruct the 2-foot base of the structure in order to ensure it would be in use for decades to come.
Additional land purchased, allowed the couple to add a drive-thru and parking for the Hudson Station. It now serves as a permanent home to The Frozen Elephant on the south side of town.
Both Eli and Tori are graduates of Miami High School. They wanted to find ways to not only strengthen the town, but also capture those touring Route 66 by saving authentic buildings along the road.
Eventually, they would like to see additional Frozen Elephants along Route 66, hopefully housed in other service stations and/or buildings saved along the route.
Eli sees all of their efforts as a way to tie the present to the past, as life moves into the future.
“People who are traveling on Route 66 love visiting old service stations, and seeing where people got their petroleum,” Eli said. “To see these service stations getting new life is exhilarating. We hope to keep providing that experience.”
Eli said ultimately, he and Tori want to find ways to continue to make improvements within their hometown, and along the route, in order to make a positive difference in the community.
For more information, persons interested may follow The Frozen Elephant on Facebook and TikTok @TheFrozenElephant and on Instagram @froellashavedice.
