The Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society, based in Lebanon, Missouri, announced last week that it received the archives of late Missouri Route 66 author and researcher Skip Curtis.
Curtis, who wrote the seminal but long-out-of-print “The Missouri U.S. 66 Tour Book” (Amazon affiliate link) in 1994, died of cancer in 2007 at age 63.
He also wrote “Birthplace of Route 66: Springfield, Mo.” in 2001, also out of print. That book undoubtedly planted a seed where that city played up its Route 66 link, including its annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
Curtis was a contributing writer to the now-defunct Route 66 Magazine and an editor for Show Me Route 66, the publication for the Route 66 Association of Missouri.
The society’s post stated that Curtis’ wife, Karla, is getting ready to move and decided to donate her husband’s archives.
Karla Curtis was in Lebanon on Monday afternoon to see “The ‘Skip’ Curtis Route 66 Collection,” a Route 66 Centennial exhibit presented by the Route 66 Society in a display case at the Lebanon-Laclede County Library entryway. The exhibit is scheduled to run through August.
The bottom shelf of the display features “Skip” Curtis’ Route 66 memorabilia. The middle shelf features artifacts from Route 66 Society President Bruce Owen’s collection. Owen’s ancestors owned the Nelson Tavern, later known as the Nelson Hotel, and the Dream Village motel. The top shelf holds the Route 66 collection of Route 66 Society board members Jim and Kerry Lewis.
“Skip” Curtis’ memorabilia wound up in Lebanon because of Karla Curtis’ friendship with Debby Long. Both are retired teachers who worked together in Marshfield and have stayed in touch. Long now works with Route 66 Society Vice President Mike Boggs at the Missouri Division of Tourism Welcome Center at Conway. Long mentioned the archives to Boggs, who said the Route 66 Society would love to accept them.
Curtis lived in St. Louis for decades and owned an advertising and marketing company. He eventually moved back to his hometown of Springfield to live in a historic, renovated fire station.
I met Curtis by happenstance many years ago. He was helping the owners of the historic Johnnie’s Bar & Grill along Route 66 in St. James, Missouri, move some furniture. We complimented him on “The Missouri U.S. Route 66 Tour Book,” and he was appreciated that we had read it.