# Erick

Erick$^{[deadlink]}$ is a city of a thousand people (2019) in the Great Plains Country of Oklahoma, near the Texas border on the former US Route 66.

## Understand

Established in 1901 as an agricultural community on the National Old Trails Road, Erick was perched (or parched?) at what was the edge of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. There was brief pre-war natural gas exploration. By the 1940s Erick began to attract motor courts and roadside businesses catering to motorists, which prospered in the post-war era. The last Oklahoma section of Route 66 was bypassed, Sayre to Erick, in 1975.
Erick is known as the former home of country musicians Sheb Wooley ("one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater") and Roger Miller ("King of the Road," "Dang Me," "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd"). It's the second-westernmost settlement (beside tiny Texola OK) in the state.

## Get in

From I-40 take State Route 30 South.

## Get around

The main roads in Erick are Roger Miller Memorial Highway (Broadway) and Sheb Wooley Blvd. (Main Street or State Route 30). East-west roads are numbered 1st-12th.

## See

* 35.215-99.8671 100th Meridian Museum, Sheb Wooley Ave & Roger Miller Blvd, ☏ +1 580-526-3221. By appointment. History of surveys and land disputes along the 100°W Meridian (a long-disputed boundary which separates Oklahoma from Texas), local life from prehistoric time through early day Erick, history of Route 66.
* Bonebrake Hardware Museum. The owners of this hardware store closed the store in the 60s without removing anything. You can't go inside, but you can look through the window to see what has been there for half a century.
* Sandhills Curiosity Shop, 201 S. Sheb Wooley Ave, ☏ +1 580-526-3738, arus@dobsonteleco.com. The SandHills Curiosity Shop, once the city meat market, is the oldest brick building in Erick and can accommodate up to 75 people. Before Annabelle's 2014 battle with cancer, this was somewhere where any day of the week you could catch Harley & Annabelle performing for singles, couples, families, clubs, tour bus groups and media. Refreshments were always "on-the-house," along with hugs, kisses and photo-ops.
* Redneck Junk Store. Located across the street, offers "120 feet of pure redneck junk."

## Do
### Events

* Roger Miller Festival Downtown Erick. last Saturday in October. Live music, food, arts and crafts for sale, Oklahoma vs. Texas “King of the Road” Classic Car and Truck Show.

## Buy

* Oleta's Gift Shop, 801 S Elm, ☏ +1 580 526-3009.

## Eat

* Main Street Cafe, 112 South Sheb Wooley Ave., ☏ +1 580 526-3400. Monday - Friday 10AM-2PM, Saturday 11AM-2PM. Home cooking, Daily specials, best burgers in Western Oklahoma, finest desserts you ever locked a lip across.
* Simple Simon's Pizza, 902 N Sheb Wooley, ☏ +1 580 526-3269.

## Drink

* Branding Iron, 204 W Roger Miller Blvd, ☏ +1 580 526-3033.

## Sleep

* Comfort Inn, 1001 North Shebwooley Dr., ☏ +1 580 526-8124. $85-130 (Doubles).
* Days Inn, I-40 and Highway 30, ☏ +1 580 526-3315.
* Econo Lodge, ☏ +1 580 526-3315.
* Elm Motel, 823 West Rm Blvd, ☏ +1 580 526-3155.
* Passport Inn, ☏ +1 580 526-3381.

## Connect

* United States Post Office, 119 W. 3rd, ☏ +1 580 526-3425.
* Erick Community Library, 200 S. Sheb Wooley, ☏ +1 580 526-3425. M W F 2PM-6PM. Internet access available

## Stay safe

* Erick Volunteer Ambulance, ☏ +1 580 526-3636.
* Erick Volunteer Fire Department, ☏ +1 580 526-3131.
* Erick Police Department, ☏ +1 580-526-3385.
* Erick Family Medical Clinic, 105 N. Sheb Wooley, ☏ +1 580-526-3113. M Tu Th 9AM-9AM-noon.
* Community Storm Cellar, 404 S. Oak at Erick High School (from stoplight: 3 blocks south & 1 glock east).

## Go next

* Elk City is about 30 minutes to the northeast.
* Oklahoma City is about two hours to the east.
* Amarillo is about two hours to the west.