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Former 1923 Gas Station / Dairy Creme

328 E. Main St., Carterville, MO
Phone:

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"Carterville's First Modern Drive-In Service Station" opened for business on Saturday July 21, 1923 here on the corner of Pine and Main Streets according to an ad in the Webb City Sentinel newspaper at the time. The station sold Joplin Oil Company (JOCO) gasoline, oil and grease. The photo above shows the now heavily modified building about 100 years later in 2023. The photo below is the much less modified building in 2013 when it was Stewart's 66 Cafe.

Sometime between 1948 and 1963 the building was converted for use as a cafe. The office area was converted to a kitchen and the drive under the canopy was enclosed with the large glass windows and low brick walls to form a dining room as seen in this photo.

In 1943 the building became home to Ed Spencer's "Fixit Shop" and Garage . In 1946 and 47 the station was listed as a Skelly gas station. Also in October of 1947 a "Blinker type traffic signal" was installed at Main & Pine, After that, history seems to have gone into hiding until the early 1960s

In 1963 a newspaper ad appeared for Carterville Dairy Creme (similar to a Dairy Queen) was located here. Butch and Kathy Rowland owned and operated the Dairy Cream from about 1985 to at least 1992. From 1992 to 2005 is another mystery.

But then it went on to become (2006) Dreama's Route 66 Cafe, (2011) Peggy Sue's Drive-In, (2013) Stewarts Cafe, (2016) Rooster Crow Cafe and (2017) the Dead Cow Saloon and grill, I probably missed a couple along the way.

In 2022 this was the home of Famos on 66 Grill, it has changed hands again since then. The building was expanded in late 2023. They left sometime before the end of 2024.

In the first part of 2025 it was the home of Route 66 Burrito House.

Famos On 66 returned to the building in November of 2025.

In 2013 we spotted this little black bear standing on the corner and proudly holding up a Route 66 shield, perhaps hoping to attract the attention of roadies and getting them to stop in for a meal or snack. The bear apparently got tired of standing on the corner for years and was spotted hiding around the corner at the west end of the building in 2025..

Photo(s): 2013, 2023