Restoration of Hi-Way Cafe sign among newest Route 66 Corridor cost-share grants

The restoration of the Hi-Way Cafe neon sign near Vinita, Oklahoma, was among the newest cost-share grants announced this week by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.

Four of the grants involved neon signs. In addition to the Hi-Way, grants went to the Henning Motel sign in Newberry Springs, California; the Road Runner’s Retreat sign near Chambless, California; and producing a neon-repair video.

Since 2001, the corridor program has awarded 169 projects $2.55 million, with $3.98 million in cost-share match, totaling $6.53 million in public-private investment toward the revitalization and commemoration of Route 66.

Here are this year’s recipients:

Hi-Way Cafe Neon sign restoration, Vinita, Oklahoma ($17,200 grant; $17,200 cost-share match): Grant funds will assist with the restoration of the circa-1962 neon sign to operating condition, which was designed by the restaurant’s founder Tom Schwartz.

Henning Motel sign restoration, Newberry Springs, California ($10,000 grant; $10,000 cost-share match): The Henning Motel was used in several scenes for the cult film “Bagdad Cafe.” The motel was demolished after it fell into disrepair. The corridor program states “the current owners are committed to preserving the orphan sign (a sign that has lost its associated building) as a testimony to the historic motel. Grant funds will assist with the full restoration of the sign to operating condition as an important part of the cultural landscape.”

Road Runner’s Retreat sign restoration planning, Chambless, California ($5,386 grant; $5,386 cost-share): Though the restaurant has been closed for decades, two families that previously ran or owned the property want to restore the neon sign. Grant funds in 2021 assisted with the preparation of planning and design documents. This year’s grant funds will restore the sign box and upgrade electrical service to the sign.

Instructional video: Do-it-yourself neon sign servicing and repair, New Mexico Route 66 Association ($6,500 grant; $7,500 cost-share): “This project will produce a 25-minute instructional video on the typical construction of neon signs and their components along with troubleshooting and how to make simple repairs with common tools. The video is intended to support business owners and others to maintain and repair neon signs in affordable ways that help keep their lights on and the Route 66 corridor burning brightly.”

Shamrock Court restoration, Phase II, Sullivan, Missouri ($30,000 grant; $30,000 cost-share): “With demolition on the horizon, a new owner has stepped in to rescue and stabilize the buildings, with plans to bring the Shamrock Court back to life as a functioning motel. In 2021, grant funds assisted with Phase I of the restoration, which included listing the property on the National Register of Historic Places, restoring the subfloors, dormers, roof, gutters, HVAC system, electrical system and plumbing system. Phase II 2022 grant funds will assist with the completion of the electrical and plumbing system upgrades.” The motel, with its distinctive stonework, dates back to the late 1940s.

DeCamp Station septic system upgrade, Staunton, Illinois ($13,499 grant, $13,499 cost-share): This project will replace the septic system of the nearly century-old building to maintain its viability as an authentic roadhouse stop on historic Route 66. “According to legend, customers included celebrities and outlaws like Al Capone. Today it’s known as DeCamp Station and retains much of its historic appearance including all-wood siding, oak and mahogany booths, hard maple floors, original light fixtures and tin ceilings. It is also still serving its original pizza recipe.”

Recording and preserving Route 66 cultural landscapes, Tucumcari, New Mexico ($29,636 grant; $113,492 cost-share): “The objective of this project is to record and document the built environment of Route 66, using Tucumcari, New Mexico, as a model. Project activities will be managed collaboratively by the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design and New Mexico Highlands University. Activities will include field visits, lesson development and student instruction in geomatics, public history, media studies, archeology and historic preservation for the purpose of capturing historic and cultural resources through photography, video, drawings and GPS and 3D spatial data. The result will be a layered, geo-cultural history of Tucumcari’s Route 66 landscape as it has evolved over time and a conservation management plan. The work will be made available to the public through a web-based platform and will explore best practices on how to record the physical landscape of Route 66 while providing opportunities for public participation in the ongoing construction of the people’s history of Route 66.”

Route 66 Connected Research Project, Route 66 in New Mexico ($20,000 grant; $20,267 cost-share): “This project will explore Route 66 with a focus on New Mexico to provide a realistic and comprehensive view of the cultural, social, and economic narratives of the Mother Road and how they are reflected in its contemporary reality. By examining the historic commercial properties still in operation, the project will undertake archival research and a photographic survey of their tangible architectural legacy and current use, Route 66 iconography, and ethnic features from a cultural anthropological perspective. This work will culminate in the creation of a photographic collection, a detailed database, and a report that will be available to the public and archived at the University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research.”

Pathways Project: Preserving Route 66 in a multimedia map, Route 66 in California ($30,000 grant; $30,000 cost-share): “Utilizing GIS, 3D modeling and animation, the project will render changes in time, space, topography, human use and habitation along Route 66 in California as a model for other states to consider. The data will be wide-ranging and unique including fault lines, flood plains, indigenous footpaths, flight paths, car culture, neon signs, film, TV, music, architecture and fields of cellphone reception alongside many other layers of this data-rich spatial experience. In addition to the online experience, the project will culminate in a 500-foot-long emakimono hand-scroll print of the road and its tributaries in time for the 2026 centennial celebration of the road. As an interactive, multi-media, augmented reality project it will illustrate the exceptional diversity of experience and history found along Route 66.”

National Register significance addendum – U.S. 66 Hydro-Bridgeport, from Hydro to Bridgeport, Oklahoma ($6,950 grant; $7,075 cost-share):  The project will re-evaluate the National Register significance of the 17-mile stretch of Route 66 pavement as a strategy for increasing awareness, recognition and protection of this special stretch of highway.

Route 66 oral history project, Springfield, Illinois ($8,000 grant; $23,500 cost-share):  The Illinois State Museum seeks to capture stories and the full complexity and effect of Route 66 on the lives of the people who traveled and lived alongside it. The Illinois State Museum will collect 100 oral histories as part of a planned exhibition to commemorate Route 66’s centennial in 2026.

2 thoughts on “Restoration of Hi-Way Cafe sign among newest Route 66 Corridor cost-share grants

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.