8-foot-tall gas pump stolen from Route 66 landmark

MIAMI, Okla. – Authorities are searching for a nearly century-old gas pump that was stolen from a Route 66 landmark in Oklahoma.

Police say the red, 8-foot-tall pump was one of three bolted into concrete outside the Marathon Gas Station in Miami, about 90 miles (145 kilometres) northeast of Tulsa.

The restored station was built in 1929 along the iconic Chicago-to-Los Angeles roadway. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

Investigators believe the pump was taken late Feb. 25 or early the next morning. Bolts securing the other two pumps were also removed. Those pumps, one red and one yellow, are now in storage.

The stolen pump isn’t original to the station. But it’s worth about $5,000.

Also known as the Mother Road, Route 66 inspired songs, a television show and countless road trips. Portions that remain open still draw travellers from across the globe.