Part of Our Route 66 Everytown Collection – Newkirk Edition
Slide back to a simpler slice of the Mother Road with this ultra-soft unisex jersey tee, expertly spun from 100% Airlume-combed, ring-spun cotton. Stamped across the chest is the proud slogan "Home of Wilkerson's Store," celebrating the iconic adobe country store that once kept ranchers, railroaders and cross-country cruisers supplied with Gulf gas, cold soda and wild road-trip tales.
Perfect for ghost-town wanderers, vintage-sign hunters, and collectors of our exclusive Route 66 Everytown Collection, allowing you to carry the spirit of Newkirk's bygone bustle wherever you roam.
Shop now at Heart of The Mother Road and enjoy FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $25.
About Newkirk, New Mexico: A Crossroads in the Grasslands
In 1901, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad dropped a water stop on the empty grasslands and called it Newkirk. For a quarter-century, tumbleweeds and cattle had the place to themselves, that is until 1926, when Route 66 followed the old Ozark Trail right through the heart of town. Suddenly, this lonesome prairie crossroads had a promising future.
Rancher A.B. Wilkerson saw it coming. He hand-cut adobe bricks from the red earth and built what Newkirk needed most: a country store, filling station, tourist cabins, and a post office all rolled into one dusty compound.
For travelers crossing the vast eastern New Mexico plains, Wilkerson's meant cold Coca-Cola, hot coffee, clean beds and a friendly face beneath that glowing Gulf sign. Kids scrawled their names in wet concrete. Truckers swapped tales at the gas pumps. At night, the red-and-orange Gulf globe burned like a beacon while freight trains howled past on the parallel tracks.
But the interstate has no mercy for small towns. When I-40 opened miles to the south, Wilkerson's front porch went quiet. The store closed for good in 1989, leaving behind crumbling adobe walls, a rusted pump island and four empty motor-court garages slowly returning to dust in the wind.
Today, Newkirk is a beautiful ghost town: windswept, sun-bleached, and utterly still. Pull off onto the old alignment, stand in the weeds where travelers once lined up for gas and you might hear screen doors slamming in the wind or the crunch of gravel under tires riding off into the New Mexico sunset.
Product Features:
- 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton for premium softness
- Side seams for added structure and durability
- Tear-away label for comfort
- Classic crew neckline with a flattering unisex fit - true-to-size for all day comfort (see size chart for details)
- Fulfilled in the USA
Care Instructions:
- Machine wash: cold (max 90°F / 30°C)
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Non-chlorine bleach as needed
- Iron or steam: medium heat
- Do not dry clean
