Last summer, the historic Green Parrot tavern along Route 66 in Galena, Kan., was damaged when a giant sinkhole opened up behind the property. The hole was caused by the collapse of one of the old underground lead mines that dot the city. Today, an article in the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World & News confirms what … Continue reading Does Galena have a future?
Category: Businesses
Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famers announced
The current summer issue of The 66 News, published by the Route 66 Association of Illinois, announces its 2007 inductees to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. They are: Joy Henderson, former owner of Archie's Standard Service in Pontiac (1956-63) and the Hilltop Cafe in Cayuga (1963-65). Henderson is now 74. (The Pontiac Leader … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famers announced
Route 66 visitors center holds grand opening
KFJX-TV reports on the grand opening of the new Route 66 Visitors Welcome Center in Carterville, Mo. The building, in an old gas station, contains a souvenir shop, Wi-Fi Internet access and other amenities for those traveling on the Mother Road. The building also serves as Rod Harsh's office for his video production business and … Continue reading Route 66 visitors center holds grand opening
Hillbilly sign returns at Mule Trading Post
The Mule Trading Post near Rolla, Mo., blessed by energetic new owners, tracked down an old hillbilly sign that once graced the Hillbilly Store and brought it back from the dead, reports the Rolla Daily News. The hillbilly sign now stands in front of a new tobacco barn they opened Memorial Day weekend, just next … Continue reading Hillbilly sign returns at Mule Trading Post
The good ol’ days weren’t always good
People who know of my fascination with Route 66 occasionally ask me whether I would have preferred to live in an era when the Mother Road was more vibrant, where I could see long-gone motels and businesses open and prospering again. I admit that if a time machine were available, I would visit the 1950s … Continue reading The good ol’ days weren’t always good
Route 66 Festival notes
The National Route 66 Festival is coming up in a few weeks in Clinton, Okla., on June 21-24, and here are a few items related to that event: -- The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is sponsoring a hands-on historic preservation project at the former Ray's Motel at 720 S. Eighth St. in Clinton from 11 … Continue reading Route 66 Festival notes
Rose Bowl back in the pink
As predicted here a few weeks ago,the Rose Bowl in Tulsa has been repainted back to some semblance of its original pink color, eschewing the red, white, blue and purple colors that it sported briefly before it closed, reports KOTV. Chris Whinery of Whinery Mortgage is the owner of the Rose Bowl, which was built … Continue reading Rose Bowl back in the pink
Hesperia’s Old Town Shops being renovated
Hesperia, Calif., is growing quickly, but a developer is seeking to preserve at least part of the town's roots by renovating the dilapidated Old Town Shops that were built in the 1950s, according to the Victorville Daily Press. (Hesperia is just south of Victorville.) Roofing work on the buildings began earlier this spring, and plans … Continue reading Hesperia’s Old Town Shops being renovated
Same as it ever was
One time, while dining at a dairy bar on Route 66 in Commerce, Okla., I chatted with this older gentleman who was traveling through the region. We started talking about vintage businesses along the Mother Road. "Just down the street, there's a place that when I walked in, it was like being in my hometown's … Continue reading Same as it ever was
Story of the Blue Dome
Tulsa has an area in downtown called the Blue Dome District -- an area of up-and-coming restaurants, taverns, businesses and residential lofts. The district's namesake is a blue-domed Gulf Oil station, built in 1924 on what became an early alignment of Route 66 through Tulsa. According to this article in Urban Tulsa, it was the … Continue reading Story of the Blue Dome