Sprague Super Station

305 East Pine St., Normal, IL
Phone:

East < GO > West

The Sprague Super Station opened in early or mid-1931 as a Cities Service gas station. The first floor included the gas station office, a repair garage and the cafe. By Early October it advertised as an Intercity Bus Depot where you could hop a bus to either Chicago or St. Louis for the grand sum of $2.50!

The building is located at the intersection of Pine and Walnut streets on the 1926-1940 alignment of Route 66.
GPS: 40.517690, -88.980364

The owners and attendants lived on the second floor. It is the only Tudor style gas station on Route 66 in Illinois although what looks like mid 60s photo (not shown here) shows none of the Tudor style trim, it's hard to tell if the original trim was removed or just painted over. That photo shows Gulf Oil signs on the station. Additions to the south and west sides of the building were made in 1948 and 1967 respectively. Gas was last sold in 1971 and in 1979 the pumps the were taken out. Over the years before 1971 Texaco and Zephyr were other brands of gas sold here. In the 50s Olin Hetzler ran a Yellow Cab business here as well as the station. In 1976 it became a Bridal Shop which lasted many years.

Fortunately for Route 66 enthusiasts Terri Ryburn bought the property in 2006 and began a years long restoration.

Three vintage style Cities Service gas pumps stand on the pump island out front.

The station was added to National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

The tattered sign post out front in this 2012 photo looks like it may have advertised the cafe at some point in time. Both the tall signs are gone, the Wayside Exhibit between the tall signs is still there.

There is a Wayside Exhibit, "A Station and a Home" and an Experience Hub, "Route 66 Attractions in the Normal-Bloomington Region" . The Wayside Exhibit tells a bit of the history of the Sprague Super Station. Many business have been housed in this building since the pumps were removed.

Photo(s): 2012, 2015, 2017