The Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla, Mo., is marking its 80th year on Route 66, although the current longtime owner may not hold it for much longer, reported the Rolla Daily News. A bit of history from the newspaper: "We are the last original mom and pop store left on this historic road," said owner Tim Jones who … Continue reading Totem Pole Trading Post marks 80th year
Author: Ron Warnick
I'm the editor and publisher of Route 66 News, a clearinghouse of events, information, and entertainment pertaining to historic U.S. 66, the Mother Road.
“American Giants,” Episode 3
Joel Baker has posted on YouTube the third episode of his "American Giants" series, which delves into the history of giant fiberglass figures, aka Muffler Men. This episode's focus is the Muffler Man on Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill. https://youtu.be/QIJ-71dVb-M You'll see footage of the Muffler Man being dismantled in Cicero, Ill., and being moved … Continue reading “American Giants,” Episode 3
Notes from the Route 66 Summit
I'm unable to attend the International Route 66 Festival in Joplin, Mo., this year because of an employment change. However, Emily Priddy (aka Redforkhippie) has been live-tweeting from today's Route 66 Summit in Joplin. Here are some of the newsy bits from it, including the announcement of the festival's host city for 2014: https://twitter.com/redforkhippie/status/363341609343004672 https://twitter.com/redforkhippie/status/363330281916211200 … Continue reading Notes from the Route 66 Summit
Spring River Inn sign in Riverton will be restored
The old neon sign for the long-gone Spring River Inn restaurant in Riverton, Kan., has vanished, but eventually will reappear completely restored, reported the Joplin Globe. Renee Charles, president of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association and one of the principal owners of Cars on the Route in nearby Galena, is raising funds to have the … Continue reading Spring River Inn sign in Riverton will be restored
Springfield, Mo., will use crowdsourcing to fund Route 66 park
The City of Springfield, Mo., announced it will use crowdsourcing via CrowdIt.com to fund some of the building of a Route 66-themed roadside park, according to a news release Thursday. Crowdsourcing is a low-risk way to raise money for projects. Crowdsourcing Route 66 projects through Kickstarter.com, for example, has shown erratic response. But the fact CrowdIt.com … Continue reading Springfield, Mo., will use crowdsourcing to fund Route 66 park
Tee Pee Curios gets new owners
The historic Tee Pee Curios souvenir shop, made famous by its tepee-shaped entrance and elaborate neon sign, reportedly will gain its first new owners in decades. Gar and Heidi Engman of Fort Dodge, Iowa, reportedly are signing the papers this morning to take over the Tucumcari, N.M., business on Route 66. According to their Facebook … Continue reading Tee Pee Curios gets new owners
Three minutes with Bob Waldmire
Bob Hall, who worked at KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, has been uploading some of his old reports to YouTube this week. Here's a well-produced one from 1989 about Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. https://youtu.be/IDKDMWZ76WY Waldmire died in 2009 at age 64 from abdominal cancer. However, his legendary 1972 Volkswagen minibus still can be seen at … Continue reading Three minutes with Bob Waldmire
A tour of the Litchfield Route 66 museum
This 28-minute video from "Illinois Stories," produced by PBS affiliate WSEC-TV in Springfield, takes you inside the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center in Litchfield, Ill. https://youtu.be/Ho5G74b75ws If you're a little short on time, you can skip ahead to the six-minute mark and let Ariston Cafe owner Nick Adam guide you and the host … Continue reading A tour of the Litchfield Route 66 museum
Historic gas station in Oklahoma City torn down
A cottage-style gas station in Oklahoma City that dated to the beginnings of Route 66 was torn down in recent weeks to make way for a fast-food restaurant, according to the OKC Central blog, which is affiliated with The Oklahoman newspaper. The long-closed station stood at Pennsylvania Avenue and Northwest 23rd Street (aka Route 66). … Continue reading Historic gas station in Oklahoma City torn down
Boots Motel honored by National Park Service
The Boots Motel in Carthage, Mo., was honored Saturday by the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for removing a gabled roof and restoring the Route 66 landmark to its original, flat-roofed appearance. According to the Joplin Globe newspaper: A plaque was presented to Debye Harvey, a co-owner of the motel, by Kaisa … Continue reading Boots Motel honored by National Park Service