A Century-Old Service Station Finds a New Home on Route 66 in Marshfield

October 24, 2026 jasonspiess The Crude Life 0

For about a century, a small service station sat a few miles east of town, closed and quiet, while the road it once served turned into a legend. Now it has been moved, restored, and set down in Marshfield, just feet from the old alignment of Route 66.

The Niangua Service Station was relocated a few miles west to the forthcoming Route 66 Plaza. According to Route 66 Times, the building dates to 1925 and stood a few hundred feet east of the Niangua River bridge on Highway CC, also known as Route 66. The Tudor-style building originally sat near the Niangua River, where early motorists needed frequent places to refuel.

The new site is near the former We Dug Inn.

Lyndall Fraker of the Webster County Route 66 Centennial Committee said the Dill family, who owned the property where the station once stood, donated the structure to the Route 66 Centennial Commission, and organizers worked with a moving company to bring it to Marshfield.

Fraker called the project a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to keep a 100-year-old building in good condition for future generations.

Funding came from a $180,000 grant from CelebrateMo66 and the Missouri Route 66 Centennial Commission. The restoration plans include a new foundation, authentic-style windows and doors, and landscaping, and a chimney may be rebuilt to match the original look.

The station is only part of the plaza. Plans call for a towering interactive Route 66 sign, one of only about ten planned for Missouri. The plaza is also where the Webster County Route 66 marker was installed.

The project is personal for Fraker, who grew up in Marshfield. He has said there is hope the station will ultimately be open for visitors.

The Crude Life is a sponsor and supporter of the Route 66 Americana Archive and Frequency 66.

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Author: jasonspiess

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