Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor
Since building The Windmill Shops as Arcadia, Oklahoma’s only shopping center in 2006, Danny and Vi Davis had dreamed of creating a Route 66 mural on the back wall facing westbound drivers on “The Mother Road.”
In 1926, U.S. Highway 66, also known as Route 66, was designated as a transcontinental route connecting Chicago to the West Coast.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently cooperated in clearing the right-of-way of trees that were too close to the highway near Arcadia.
The Windmill Shops’ back wall suddenly had approach visibility. The “lead-in” view across a pasture for westbound traffic provides an unobstructed sightline to the wall.
The morning sun from the east illuminates the building at the end of a long straightaway from Anderson Road, increasing the viewing exposure time for motorists.
The Davises were thrilled that their dream of an important mural along the famous road was one step closer to becoming reality.
The building’s 16-foot-tall back wall is smooth concrete block, which provides the perfect surface for painting a large mural as public art.
With the Route 66 Centennial approaching, the Davis family saw the mural as a way to honor Arcadia’s deep-rooted connection to the highway.
“This is what we had always planned — a mural — but it was the Route 66 Centennial that turned our vision into reality,” Vi Davis said.
The couple envisioned a “chronological storyboard” with the earliest Arcadia history closest to the Mother Road, covering the first portion of the more than two-thirds of a football-field-sized canvas.
The family secured the services of Oklahoma’s most viewed mural painter, Bob Palmer, Ed.D. The former Central State University art professor gathered a crew of his best former students to tackle the enormous 225-foot-long project. The three-day large-scale mural painting adventure began.
“Once we commissioned Dr. Palmer and his crew and gathered the images we wanted in the mural, it was a ‘whirlwind’,” Vi said.
This was a personal undertaking for the Davis family in tribute to America. Once Danny saw how skillfully the talented crew created exactly what his family wanted, he surprised the artists at the very end with a request to add an image of a favorite motorcycle he had lovingly restored.
Taking all the Davises’ instructions about what they wanted to see painted, the muralist used structural techniques to create the “Cinematic” scale of Arcadia’s history.
The mural’s design offers visitors an immersive experience of Arcadia’s history, encouraging a walk along the wall to appreciate its storytelling.
Motorists stop and look at the mural in more detail after first seeing it as a peripheral-vision effect.
“Vi has created a mural pamphlet explaining each image,” Danny said. “It is available during business hours at the Arcadia Tag Agency and the Farmers Market, inviting visitors to enjoy a 10 to 15-minute walk through Arcadia’s rich history.”
Once the timeline evolves, the roadway is depicted at the bottom, complete with a white centerline to denote how the asphalt of Route 66 literally cuts through the local landscape.
The local significance and iconic highlights of the Round Barn carries on after local historic landmarks help ground the global legend of Route 66 in Arcadia’s heritage.
“Since coming to Arcadia, we have been involved in the community and with the historical Round Barn in some capacity,” Danny said. “Vi has been on the board of the Arcadia Historical Society for several years, and I assist with the maintenance issues.”
Parking access is at 210 N Odor Street on Route 66, one block east of the iconic Arcadia Round Barn, six miles east of Interstate 35. The roadside spectacle is further enhanced by depictions of classic vintage cars and motorcycles in the town and on the road.
The “Mother Road” spirit of these “means of travel” depicts the highway as a symbol of “freedom and mobility” during the post-war heyday of the 1940s and 50s.
The Davises own the vintage cars, motorcycles, and airplane depicted on the mural. “If asked, Danny will take visitors on a tour of some of the vehicles stored locally,” Vi said.
In the middle of the mural, the focus on bold, “block-letter typography” and vintage Route 66 signage is reflected in the title “The Windmill Shops Centennial Mural”.
The most prominent feature is a gas station on the “Main Street of America,” complete with a tow truck and payphone.
The depth of this scene showcases the muralists’ technical artistry. The filling station sign and tow truck are clearly in the foreground. The depth of the “layering techniques” makes this mural section special.
The master muralists were all Oklahomans: Palmer (Bethany), Joel Randell (Luther), Shane Cox (OKC), Holly McHughes (Perry), Kayla Kohoutart (Walters) and Journey Sanchez (Chandler).
The Windmill Shops’ huge logo in the middle celebrates Arcadia’s Modern Renaissance, inspiring local pride and reinforcing its identity and voice during the Route 66 Centennial.
The Davis family is proud to present this tribute to this year’s 100th-anniversary celebrations. They are excited that Route 66 has already successfully shifted from an active federal highway to a collection of state- and locally-managed historic roads.
As of 2025, much of the route is already designated as a National Scenic Byway or an All-American Road. Instead of a new scenic byway designation, the current legislative focus is on transitioning the road into a National Historic Trail that will remain a living museum.
The Windmill Shops host eight prominent community entities: Arcadia Tag and Title, Subway Restaurant, Hope City Church, 500 Moore Casa, LLC., Hebrews Coffee Shop, Bohemia Massage Studio, Beyond Eden Spa and Arcadia Farmers Market.
“Already since its November 22 completion, visitors have stopped to ask about the mural, taken a pamphlet from Vi, and walked along the mural from left to right — experiencing Arcadia’s history,” Danny said. “Overall, the response has been very positive — bringing back memories for longtime residents and enlightening travelers and those new to the area.”
