Alan Jackson is a Georgia boy, so I have doubts whether he's driven Route 66. However, his hit song "Little Man" tells what happened to small-town America and small businesses on the Mother Road and elsewhere in the wake of interstate bypasses and big-box corporations.
Category: Businesses
Red Oak II reopens this summer
Partly buried in this Carthage (Mo.) Press article about a Japanese television crew filming Route 66 sights is intriguing news about the languishing Red Oak II complex northeast of town. The visit to Red Oak II comes at an exciting time as renovation work nears completion on the Black Hen Restaurant, which will reopen this … Continue reading Red Oak II reopens this summer
Pops of Arcadia documentary
Here's a short documentary about the building of the Pops convenience store on Route 66 in Arcadia, Okla., complete with a 66-foot-tall pop bottle. Interviewed are Route 66 historian Jim Ross, who lives near Arcadia, and Pops architect Rand Elliott of Oklahoma City. On a related note, I recently e-mailed Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, … Continue reading Pops of Arcadia documentary
Java stop
Travis Good had some interesting news from the Route 66 town of Dwight, Ill., that he posted to the Route 66 yahoogroup: Ron was showing me a new business in Dwight across the street from the Becker gas station. It looks like a big billboard with a mural on it. It turns out that it … Continue reading Java stop
End of era at Totem Pole Trading Post (UPDATED)
The Totem Pole Trading Post on Route 66 just west of Rolla, Mo., isn't going to close. But new ownership is taking over Friday afternoon, and the name -- which has been there since 1933 -- won't stay, according to the Rolla Daily News. According to this Rolla Chamber of Commerce release, Jones did not … Continue reading End of era at Totem Pole Trading Post (UPDATED)
Historic Barstow cafe torn down
Debra Hodkin, who runs the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, Calif., gave the Route 66 yahoogroup some bad news yesterday: Greystone Cafe at 31317 E. Main in Barstow, CA, is being torn down. This is a section of Route 66 where the road runs parallel with the freeway near the Marine Base. … Continue reading Historic Barstow cafe torn down
Tucumcari’s neon damaged
Severe thunderstorms struck the border lands of Texas and New Mexico on Friday, resulting in tornadoes in Logan and Clovis, N.M., and hailstorms in the Route 66 town Tucumcari, N.M., that knocked out many of the famed neon signs in town, according to the Quay County Sun. Bill Kinder, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel … Continue reading Tucumcari’s neon damaged
Williams theme park update coming tonight
The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff reports that the Williams City Council will provide an update Thursday evening about a proposed theme park. The council will hold a behind-closed-doors executive session at 6 p.m. regarding the "purchase, sale or lease of real property" for Grand Canyon Northland Amusements & Entertainment. During the council's regular meeting … Continue reading Williams theme park update coming tonight
College students bring their ideas to Mother Road
This Associated Press story tells about Oklahoma's Scenic Byways program and how its federal funds can benefit towns and attractions along Route 66. It sounds like ideas are being kicked around, such as a Will Rogers statue in Bethany and an information kiosk in El Reno that looks like a vintage gas station. The more … Continue reading College students bring their ideas to Mother Road
Frankoma Pottery to make centennial plate
Oklahoma is celebrating its centennial this year. In this story in the Tahlequah (Okla.) Daily Press, local artist Murv Jacob has designed an Oklahoma Centennial clay plate. Who is producing the plate? Why, Frankoma Pottery on Route 66 near Sapulpa, of course. The plate should be available for sale "in a couple of months."