RalphTheWonderLlama posted a couple photos from Benld, Ill., which was on an alignment of Route 66 from the late 1920s to about the mid-1930s. I'd heard the town was a weekend hangout for organized-crime kingpin Al Capone, but Ralph added a story about Scarface that I hadn't heard. According to my dad also, there was … Continue reading A gangland hit in Benld?
Category: Businesses
Report on Amarillo’s Route 66 district
The Amarillo Globe-News published a story about Sixth Avenue, which is historic Route 66 through town. It's a good article: it gives some historical background, tells how the district evolved and how it's doing now. To read the story requires registration, but it's free. Here is contact information for the district, which, regrettably, doesn't seem … Continue reading Report on Amarillo’s Route 66 district
Route 66 remains a road of commerce (and more)
For proof, check out this success story in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. It could give the word "development" a good name because of this interesting angle (I've emphasized the particularly interesting parts): "When we started planning the project, we basically thought there was no there there from Pasadena to Palm Springs," said Colm Macken, of Forest … Continue reading Route 66 remains a road of commerce (and more)
Remembering Meeker’s
The San Bernardino County Sun published an excellent story about the history of Meeker's along Route 66 at Cajon Pass, Calif. Alas, what was left of Meeker's was bulldozed several years ago.The story didn't have a photo, but I found one here.
Devils Elbow — a drive into the past
Hank Billings, who is described as the Ozarks columnist for the News-Leader newspaper in Springfield, Mo., wrote today about his and another woman's memories of Devils Elbow, a town along Route 66 in mid-Missouri.It's a good and informative read. What struck me, however, is how that driving into Devils Elbow even today is like going … Continue reading Devils Elbow — a drive into the past
Wanna buy a business on Route 66?
Tulsa Transmission Center on 11th Street, which is Route 66 in Tulsa, is up for sale on eBay.Listed at $850,000, it's the most expensive Route 66-related item I've seen on that auction site. Looking at the photographs, the building appears to have some Art Deco architecture. Because it's listed as having been built in 1930, that … Continue reading Wanna buy a business on Route 66?