Adrian - The Midpoint of Route 66
Located on U.S. Highway 66, Adrian, originated in 1900 when the Rock Island survey west of Amarillo picked the site as a station. The first settler in the vicinity was Calvin G. Aten,qv a former Texas Ranger, who built a dugout for his family west of the site. Named for Adrian Cullen, an early farmer in the area, Arian gained official status in the summer of 1909, when the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway was completed through the county. Promotion by the Iowa-based American-Canadian Land and Townsite Company quickly attracted prospective farmers and businessmen.
By 1910 Adrian had a post office, a pool hall, a school, a general store, a lumberyard, a bank, a blacksmith shop, a brick factory, and a newspaper, the Adrian Eagle. In 1915 the town had two churches, a drugstore, telephone service, and a population of fifty. Today, Adrian is still a small town, with just twelve businesses and a little over 150 people. One of the most popular stops in Adrian was, and still is, the MidPoint Café which was first constructed in 1928, a full ten years before paving of Route 66 was completed through Oldham County. This cafe commemorates the claim that Adrian is the midpoint of Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles, and has a collection of highway memorabilia on display. The oldest continuously operating café on the Old Route 66, the café's name has changed over the years, but its still the place to go to find home-style cooking is served with a smile.
While you're in Adrian, take a look at the many old buildings that line its main street including the Bent Door Trading Post, once a lively tourist stop that has long since fallen into disrepair. Also visit The Antique Ranch, which has converted an old mechanic's shop into an antique store and eatery where you can feast on real Texas barbeque. And, don't forget to check out the Mid-Point Water Tower to discover its secret for yourself.
Sources:
Oldham County Historical Commission, Oldham County (Dallas: Taylor, 1981).
Kathleen E. and Clifton R. St. Clair, eds., Little Towns of Texas (Jacksonville, Texas: Jayroe Graphic Arts, 1982).
H. Allen Anderson
Handbook of Texas Online
Legends of America
