History
Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 66 and Illinois Route 17 in Dwight, Illinois, United States, Ambler's Texaco Station was built in 1933 by Jack Schore on property originally owned by Otto Strufe. The gas station is no longer in operation as a filling station, but when it closed, it held the record as the longest operating gas station along the historic Route 66. The station last dispensed gasoline in 1999. In 1936, the station was leased to Vernon Von Qualen and became known as Vernon's Texaco Station. Over the next two years, Von Qualen purchased the station from Schore, and sold it in 1938 to Basil "Tubby" Ambler. Ambler owned the station from 1938–1966. Ambler's ownership was the longest of any owner during the most historically significant period; as a result, the station was known as Ambler's longer than by any other name.
The owner at the time of the building's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, Phil Becker, grew up living on Mazon Street (Illinois Route 17). He had been hanging out at the station since he was nine and began working at the station in 1964. One year after Becker's employment began, Ambler sold the station to Earl Kochler. Kochler sold the station to Royce McBeath, who ran it between 1965–1970. The station changed hands once again when Becker bought the station from McBeath on March 4, 1970. About a year after Becker took over operation of the station, Texaco suddenly stopped supplying the location with gasoline and Becker contracted with Marathon Oil. The brand change was accompanied by a name change to Becker's Marathon Gas Station, a name the station would be known by for over 26 years. Becker operated the station, along with his wife Debbie, from the time of purchase until 1996. After closing the station, the couple leased the building out as an auto repair shop and eventually donated the building to the village of Dwight.
In 2005, a project to restore the old gas station began. The village of Dwight applied for and received a US$10,400 federal cost-share grant from the U.S. National Park Service and its Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The grant required the village to present matching funds in the amount of the grant. The restoration's ultimate goal was to reopen the station as a rest stop and interpretive center along the historic roadway.
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