Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop

The city council of Joplin, Missouri, on Monday night unanimously voted to approve a special-use permit for Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop that would allow an artist to set up a gallery and visitors center there, according to the Joplin Globe. The barber shop, owned by Dale Holly's widow, is in a former Phillips 66 cottage-style … Continue reading Joplin approves rezoning of Dale’s Ole 66 Barber Shop

More 1993 footage from a Route 66 trip

Anthony Reichardt has uploaded more videos from a Route 66 trip he took with a friend in August 1993 in a 1959 Cadillac. The first is a visit to Our Lady of the Highways Shrine near Raymond, Illinois. The shrine has changed little, but the footage contains a chat with longtime caretaker Francis Marten, who … Continue reading More 1993 footage from a Route 66 trip

Joplin barber shop likely to become gallery, visitors center

An automotive artist from California may buy Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop in Joplin, Missouri, and turn it into a gallery and visitors center, according to the Joplin Globe. Len Nordmann of Lake Elsinore, California, wants to buy the property at 2312 Utica St. (aka Route 66) from Shirley Holly, widow of longtime owner Dale Holly, who owned it … Continue reading Joplin barber shop likely to become gallery, visitors center

Reporter wants to track down Phillips 66 cottage stations on OKC area

A reporter for The Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City wants to track down all of the old Phillips 66 cottage-style gas stations in the Oklahoma City metro area. Business writer Brianna Bailey wrote about that quest during a recent column: With their jaunty gabled roofs, chimneys, and arched entryways, there’s something that draws me to … Continue reading Reporter wants to track down Phillips 66 cottage stations on OKC area

Joplin city council OKs architectural study on century-old garage

The city council of Joplin, Missouri, voted 6-3 to approve a $14,000 architectural study on a circa-1920 garage that's envisioned as a Route 66 welcome center, according to the Joplin Globe. The money for the study will come from motel tax money and be used by the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau. The dilapidated garage is … Continue reading Joplin city council OKs architectural study on century-old garage

Joplin visitors-center idea may face wrecking ball

A nearly century-old gas station in Joplin, Missouri, envisioned as a Route 66 visitors center instead may be torn down, partly because city councilors are balking at the site's rehabilitation costs, according to the Joplin Globe. Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau director Patrick Tuttle wanted the property at 1109-1111 Langston Hughes-Broadway to be converted into a Route 66 … Continue reading Joplin visitors-center idea may face wrecking ball

Thefts hit Gay Parita Station

Apparently the same thief or thieves who recently struck the ghost town of Spencer, Missouri, also hit the nearby Gay Parita Sinclair station in recent days. According to Steve Turner, son of late Gay Parita owner Gary Turner, the following items were taken: Royal Crown thermometer by the Dunlop Tires sign Squirt oil sign below … Continue reading Thefts hit Gay Parita Station

Cars on the Route owner, Galena mayor embroiled in indictments

The mayor of Galena, Kansas, and six current or former city councilors recently were notified they've been indicted on a felony charge of misuse of public funds in a case that involves one of the town's most prominent Route 66 property owners, according to stories in the Joplin Globe and Cherokee County News-Advocate. Among those … Continue reading Cars on the Route owner, Galena mayor embroiled in indictments

If you want to get married on Route 66 …

... Laurel Kane at Afton Station in Afton, Oklahoma, get 'er done as a marriage officiant. Kane presided over her first official nuptials Saturday for a couple that had been together for 13 years. You can read the details at her blog, but here are the important details for anyone else who's considering getting hitched: … Continue reading If you want to get married on Route 66 …

Negro Motorist Green Book project wins grant

A project to document Route 66 properties listed in editions of the Negro Motorist Green Book was awarded a 2015 grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. According a release from the foundation, it awarded a total of $490,000 to support 63 projects by individuals "that engage original ideas in … Continue reading Negro Motorist Green Book project wins grant