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Long after the
tumultuous years surrounding the turn of the century, another coal
miner by the name of Henry Soulsby lived and worked in
Mt. Olive. However, due to an injury in the 1920's, he could no longer endure the
hard labor of the mines and began to look for a different trade. He soon invested his life savings into a couple of lots at the corner
of 1st Street and what would soon become
Route 66. In 1926, the Soulsby Shell Station opened. Henry’s high school
aged son, Russell, helped out when he could and joined his father full
time after his graduation. Later, Henry’s daughter’s Ola and Wilma
also helped at the station.
The original station
was just 13 by 20 feet wide with barely enough room for a desk,
battery charger, and a few supplies. In 1937, a 30 by 12 foot
extension was added to the back of the building. However, the
station was not enlarged to the degree that it had a garage. Instead, the Soulsbys utilized a drive up ramp outside the station for
oil changes and minor repairs. When Henry retired, Russell and Ola,
who both proved adept at pumping gas, checking oil, and checking the
engine for problems, took over the station.
During World War II,
Russell became communications technician and upon his return home, he
began repairing radios and televisions at the station. In the
1950's, he devoted the station’s north side room to this new business.
Though he made no structural changes to the building, he placed an
antenna on the roof to test his work.
In the late 1950's,
Interstate 55 plowed through
Illinois,
supplanting most of the
Route 66
traffic. Soulsby’s Station ended up a mile away from the new
thoroughfare. However, his new television business kept him in
business. He and Ola continued to pump gas until 1991, when they
could no longer keep up with the new EPA regulations. After
pumping gas for 65 years to
Route 66
travelers, the gasoline storage tanks were removed. However, for
the next two years, the station still stayed open checking oil,
selling soft drinks, and greeting an ever-growing group of new
Route 66
travelers. Finally, the station closed its doors in 1993. In 1997, Ola
passed away and Russell sold the station at an auction, complete with
everything in it.
With the new owner’s encouragement;
however, he started greeting visitors again occasionally. Russell died
in 1999.
Today, the current owner and the Soulsby Station
Society have restored the building to its original historic
appearance, providing a the a classic example of early
Route 66
for generations of
Mother Road
Travelers to come.
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