Spindles from old Route 66 bridge to be sold Sept. 22

About 100 limestone spindles, or balusters, taken from a now-demolished Route 66 bridge in Carthage, Missouri, will be sold for $250 apiece on Sept. 22. The Joplin Globe reported the balusters will be sold by the nonprofit Vision Carthage organization during the Art Walk event in Carthage's downtown square. There are no per-person limits. and … Continue reading Spindles from old Route 66 bridge to be sold Sept. 22

Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks

Pacific, Villa Ridge, Cuba, Sullivan, Bourbon, Stanton, Eureka and a few southwest suburbs of St. Louis along Route 66 experienced a total eclipse. But leading the way was St. Clair, Missouri, which had the longest total-eclipse duration on the route of 2 minutes, 41 seconds. Here's a report from KPLR-TV in St. Louis: KSDK-TV in … Continue reading Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks

Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse

Saturday still was two days before the full solar eclipse would occur in the Route 66 town of St. Clair, Missouri, but hundreds of people already had descended there. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported visitors from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, California and elsewhere Saturday. And the bulk of the traffic wasn't even anticipated … Continue reading Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse

Bicycle Across Missouri will ride Route 66 in 2018

The annual Bicycle Across Missouri event, aka Big BAM, will travel 304 miles from Joplin to Eureka for its 2018 event, it was announced this week. The ride begins June 18 in Joplin and ends June 22 in Eureka, according to KTTN radio. Four additional overnight towns will host the ride — Willard, Lebanon, Waynesville … Continue reading Bicycle Across Missouri will ride Route 66 in 2018

Birthplace of Route 66 Festival attendance shatters records

Total attendance at the just-completed Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, not only broke a record, but shattered the old mark. The Springfield Business Journal reported total attendance over the past weekend was 53,000, which exceeded last year's record of 38,000 by an astonishing 40 percent. The newspaper reported: During the event celebrating … Continue reading Birthplace of Route 66 Festival attendance shatters records

Ryburn Place in Normal opens to the public

Ryburn Place, aka Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, held its grand opening Saturday after a multi-year restoration of the historic Route 66 site. Ryburn Place is named after Route 66 enthusiast Terri Ryburn, who owned the site for years and shepherded its renovations. Here is video of the site's sign reveal: And here … Continue reading Ryburn Place in Normal opens to the public

Sprague Super Service station reopens Saturday as Ryburn Place

The long-in-coming restoration of the historic Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, will culminate with a grand opening Saturday, where it will be rechristened as Ryburn Place. The station will be renamed after Route 66 enthusiast Terri Ryburn, who purchased the property more than a decade ago and slowly and steadily began to restore … Continue reading Sprague Super Service station reopens Saturday as Ryburn Place

Grand opening for Sprague Super Service station set for Aug. 12

The grand opening -- or reopening, if you will -- of the gift shop and information center at the historic Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12. Gift-shop operator Terri Ryburn, who labored for a decade to restore the unique gas station before the city finished the … Continue reading Grand opening for Sprague Super Service station set for Aug. 12

Officials dedicate restored Front Street Bridge in Galena

Officials from Galena, Kansas, and the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Missouri attended a ceremony Saturday to mark the restoration of the historic Front Street Bridge in Galena Work on the bridge was finished in early July. Cherokee County received a Community Development Block Grant last year for the repairs, and the county covered the … Continue reading Officials dedicate restored Front Street Bridge in Galena

New Route 66 exhibit opens in History Museum on the Square

History Museum on the Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri, on Monday opened its latest exhibit, "Memories of the Mother Road: Birthplace of Route 66." The show will run through the end of the year. Katy Rawlins, office manager for the museum, explained the show in an email: The exhibit focuses on the route through Springfield … Continue reading New Route 66 exhibit opens in History Museum on the Square