Western Motel in Sayre Raising Funds to Restore Neon Sign
The original Western Motel sign. The neon has not worked in many years.
Community members in Sayre, Oklahoma are helping the owners of the Western Motel raise money to restore their vintage neon sign, which has been dark for decades.
The Western Motel opened on August 30th, 1959 to great fanfare with over 600 people attending. Ollie Elliott and his wife Ruby were the owner-operators and boasted “pink rock faced brick from the Hinton quarry and Bagdad rosewood trim” as well as movable TVs, telephones, adjustable luggage benches, chrome hat and wall racks, gas-powered heating, and air conditioning. The stunning neon sign stood next to Highway 66 from day one.
Image courtesy of newspapers.com
In 1970, the I-40 bypass opened and traffic changed dramatically. Ollie and Ruby sold the motel in 1974 but it survived through the total decertification of Route 66. Renee Russell and her husband purchased the motel in 1993 and kept it going as the revitalization era took hold. Priti Patel purchased the property in 2009 and the family has owned it ever since. Over the years, the Western has been the site of many community gatherings and events over the years, from baseball team car washes to U.S. Senator receptions, and has even been a hub for local filmmaking. It maintains a reputation as a clean, simple place for travelers to stay as they explore the Mother Road.
Western Motel sign in 1982, from the John Margolies Collection at the Library of Congress.
For years, the iconic neon sign has been missing its glow. Its southwestern design has still inspired artists and filmmakers…a CGI version of it even appears in 2024’s hit sequel Twisters. With the pending Centennial of Route 66 in 2026, Chetan “Charley” Patel and his wife Chhaya dreamed of getting it re-lit. They applied for a grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association’s 2024 Neon Sign Grant Program, and although it was initially wait-listed, funds opened up and they was awarded about half of the anticipated $36,000 price tag.
Folks in Sayre would like to see the sign return to life and started a GoFundMe account to help raise additional funds. The Patels are hoping to raise $10,000 through online fundraising and setting up a booth at local festivals. “The Patel family has been an active part of the Sayre community for many years,” said Kay Allen. “They are so proud of their motel and committed to the Route 66 experience. Charley is determined to restore the sign.”
“Neon is a big part of the Route 66 experience,” said Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. “Especially when you’re nearing the end of your day, you’re probably a little tired…and then you see that bright, beautiful beacon of glowing neon. It’s telling you that you’ve arrived home…for a night, anyway. We’re really excited to see this landmark restored to its original glory as it will give travelers one more reason to linger longer in Oklahoma.”
You can see the GoFundMe, and donate, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/restore-sayres-iconic-route-66-sign
