Leaning Tower of Britten

The leaning water tower, found east of Groom along I-40 (old U.S. Route 66)

The Leaning Tower of Britten is a leaning water tower which serves as a roadside attraction and decorative item along historic U.S. Route 66 in Groom, Texas. Sometimes called the Leaning Tower of Texas, the tower was originally a functioning water tower which was slated for demolition until Ralph Britten purchased and moved it to serve as an advertisement for his truck stop and tourist information center. The now boarded truck stop can still be seen, set back off the road behind the tower. Falling into disrepair after a fire, the truck stop has not been in use for several decades.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Deliberately leaning at a roughly 10 degree angle, the tower is a popular tourist destination. There is a small gravel road on the site for parking and taking pictures.^{[citation needed]} During the Christmas season, the city of Groom places a large multicolored star on top of the tower.^[5] Images of the water tower are common in Route 66 photography books.

References[]

^ Wesley Treat; Heather Shades; Rob Riggs; Mark Moran; Mark Sceurman (2009-05-05). Weird Texas: Your Travel Guide to Texas's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. p. 170. ISBN 9781402766879. Retrieved 2012-05-29. ("Weird Texas". Retrieved 2012-05-29.)
^ "The Leaning Tower of Texas". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
^ Evans, Molly. "Route 66 Is Rich In Texas Landmarks, But Loss Of Preservation Funding Could Harm 'Mother Road'". Retrieved 2018-04-18.
^ Brooks, Karen Harper (2016-09-14). "10 (More) Crazy Things To See Along Texas Highways, Explained". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
^ "Groom TX - Tower Fuel Stop. RT66-1107". Illinois Digital Archives.^{[dead link]}

Coordinates: 35°11′53″N 101°04′55″W / 35.19817°N 101.08191°W / 35.19817; -101.08191

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[1] Wesley Treat; Heather Shades; Rob Riggs; Mark Moran; Mark Sceurman (2009-05-05). Weird Texas: Your Travel Guide to Texas's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. p. 170. ISBN 9781402766879. Retrieved 2012-05-29. ("Weird Texas". Retrieved 2012-05-29.)

[2] "The Leaning Tower of Texas". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2018-04-18.

[3] Evans, Molly. "Route 66 Is Rich In Texas Landmarks, But Loss Of Preservation Funding Could Harm 'Mother Road'". Retrieved 2018-04-18.

[4] Brooks, Karen Harper (2016-09-14). "10 (More) Crazy Things To See Along Texas Highways, Explained". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2018-04-18.

[5] "Groom TX - Tower Fuel Stop. RT66-1107". Illinois Digital Archives.^{[dead link]}

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