Canute, Oklahoma

Canute, Oklahoma located on Historic Route 66, in north west Washita County was established in February 1899.

Canute, Oklahoma Historic Route 66

Historic Cotton Boll Motel sign along Route 66 Canute, Oklahoma

In 1902, as the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, affiliated with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, built tracks through the area, the Great Southwest Town Site Company surveyed the land and held a lottery for town lots. Buyers paid ten dollars and received a random lot location, drawn from a box. By then Canute already had a bank, cotton gin, and general merchandise store.

By 1904 the town had two newspapers, two hotels, three doctors, a buggy works, a carpenter shop, a lumberyard, two cotton gins, two hardware and implement dealers, two livery stables, a drugstore, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, three general merchandise and grocery stores, two furniture stores with funeral supplies, and a music store as well as several attorneys, real estate businesses, two banks, a photographer, and an auctioneer.

Old service station Historic Route 66 Canute, Oklahoma.

Note the art deco style around the top of the building.

The nicest man came and told us to go behind the service station to the alley, and we took photos of this 1918 jail building. The jail currently is being used as storage.

The last thing on the way out of Canute going west was the former Washita Motel.

Despite being by-passed by Interstate 40, Canute, Oklahoma has managed to survive. There are newer motels visible from I-40, modern convenience stores, churches, a strong school system, and many other businesses.