A tornado ravaged the Route 66 town of Williamsville, Ill., on Wednesday afternoon, destroying or damaging at least two dozen homes and businesses. No loss of life has been reported so far. One of the casualties is the Route 66 Antique Mall (photo of the damage is here). According to the Springfield Journal-Register: Jack Caldwell, … Continue reading Tornado strikes Williamsville
Category: Businesses
Biofuels plant decision may be today
The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner has a pretty good overview about a proposed biofuels plant that would be located near the Valle Vista subdivision off Route 66 north of town. The county's Planning and Zoning Commission may decide today whether to allow a permit for the plant. Proponents say the plant will create jobs and … Continue reading Biofuels plant decision may be today
Touching on its legacy
ConocoPhillips today posted this nifty video that talks about the history of Route 66 and historic Conoco and Phillips 66 gas stations along the Mother Road in Texas. It's good to see a major corporation at least acknowledge its history. Sometimes, in the quest to pave roads to the future, corporations forget where they've been. … Continue reading Touching on its legacy
A day in a ghost town on Route 66
Here's a very atmospheric video about the Route 66 desert hamlet of Amboy, Calif., by F.C. Howard. Fortunately, the town's most visible business, Roy's, has improved considerably since this video was made. Roy's now sells drinks, snacks and even gasoline again, thanks to the dogged efforts of Juan Pollo restaurant chain owner Albert Okura to … Continue reading A day in a ghost town on Route 66
Getting a lift from music
Among the many people who hitched a "Lift to the Rocker" fundraiser Saturday at the Fanning 66 Outpost near Cuba, Mo., was the bluegrass musical group The Lonesome Hill Gang. Jane Reed has the details about the group's little performance on the World's Largest Rocker: The family group showed up offering to play, and owners … Continue reading Getting a lift from music
How about a lift?
For the second straight year, the Lift to the Rocker event at the Fanning 66 Outpost on Route 66 near Cuba, Mo., raised funds for the Cuba Volunteer Fire Department. For $5, participants could get the rare opportunity to be lifted by a fire department bucket truck to the seat of the store's 42-foot-tall World's … Continue reading How about a lift?
Old Matt is not that old
A mile or two east of Kellyville, Okla., on Route 66 is a new place called Old Matt's General Store. Here's the kicker: According to an article in the Sapulpa Daily Herald, owner Matthew Morris graduated in May and opened his store in mid-July. That's graduated from high school, not college. He has it figured … Continue reading Old Matt is not that old
Wrink’s Market closes
Buffeted by a poor economy and other economic factors, Terry Wrinkle pulled the plug on his resurrected Wrink's Market off old Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo., and closed it in mid-June. Wrinkle reopened Wrink's Market in June 2007 after his father and the store's longtime owner, Glenn "Wrink" Wrinkle, died in 2005 at age 82. … Continue reading Wrink’s Market closes
Notes from the road
--- The bad news in Oklahoma is that the state's turnpike authority will raise toll-road prices an average of 16 percent. The good news is that this probably means more traffic on old Route 66 in the Sooner State. --- On Monday we briefly visited with Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Cafe in Stroud, … Continue reading Notes from the road
Great American Road Tripe
Following a premiere episode that showed potential, the second episode of NBC's "The Great American Road Trip" nosedived sharply in quality on Monday and probably will be this summer's television version of "Dead Man Walking" -- if it doesn't get canceled first. The first installment of the reality series that takes place on Route 66 … Continue reading Great American Road Tripe