Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced the creation of a network of charging stations for electric vehicles along Route 66 in Illinois that will be operational by summer, according to various media outlets, including the Alton Telegraph. The Route 66 towns of Plainfield, Dwight, Pontiac, Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville and Edwardsville each will have a charging … Continue reading More auto-chargers coming to Route 66 in Illinois
Category: Gas stations
Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
Bill Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has been put on the market after the property cleared probate following the longtime owner's death in December, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. The newspaper noted the museum's Facebook page had this message a few days ago: Post by Shea's Route 66 Museum. According to the newspaper: … Continue reading Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
Joplin buys old Route 66 garage
The city of Joplin, Missouri, recently bought a long-abandoned 1920s garage building that it plans to convert into a Route 66 attraction -- most likely a visitors center, reported the Joplin Globe. Patrick Tuttle, director of the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the newspaper the city had purchased the garage at 1109 Broadway (also … Continue reading Joplin buys old Route 66 garage
Rancho Cucamonga station may reopen by July
The historic Cucamonga Service Station along Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, California, may reopen next year as a museum -- perhaps by July, in time for its centennial, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The article details the work the nonprofit Route 66 IECA group has done since taking over the property in January: When … Continue reading Rancho Cucamonga station may reopen by July
A “haunted” gas station on Route 66
James Cleveland takes his camera all over the Southwest. This video of an abandoned gas station at the ghost town of Glenrio at the Texas and New Mexico border may not be actually infested with spirits, but its desolation and the sounds of the ever-present howling wind might give you the willies. https://youtu.be/wZwhr9mAv5g The sounds … Continue reading A “haunted” gas station on Route 66
Future of Shea’s Route 66 Museum likely won’t be known until next year
What's in store for the closed Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, likely won't be known until sometime early next year, reported the State Journal-Register newspaper. The museum, long operated by former gas-station operator and gas memorabilia collector Bill Shea, closed except for appointments in late 2012 after Shea became too frail and was … Continue reading Future of Shea’s Route 66 Museum likely won’t be known until next year
Mobil pegasus sign taken out of mothballs in Carthage
A Mobil pegasus neon sign that had been in storage for more than 30 years has been removed from the mothballs, donated and reinstalled at a renovated Skelly Filling Station in Carthage, Missouri, reported the Carthage Press. Jerry Perry, president and CEO of Grace Energy Corporation, gave a Mobil pegasus sign to Mark Jenny and … Continue reading Mobil pegasus sign taken out of mothballs in Carthage
Webb City wants to restore historic gas station
The city of Webb City, Missouri, is seeking to land a grant to restore a historic gas station in its downtown, reported the Joplin Globe. The station, which once sold Sinclair and Tydol gas, was built in the 1920s and designed to look like a replica of a nearby post office and serve those vehicles. … Continue reading Webb City wants to restore historic gas station
Old gas station will be converted into a barbershop
A reputed former Sinclair gas station in Springfield, Missouri, soon will reopen as a barbershop and waxing studio later this fall, reported the News-Leader newspaper. The station is just a few hundred feet south of the College Street alignment of Route 66. Dacy and Ryan Mulcahy agreed to buy the station at 640 W. Walnut … Continue reading Old gas station will be converted into a barbershop
Marty Stuart song inspired by Route 66 stop
I've known about this song for 15 years, but country-music artist Marty Stuart revealed in a recent story in American Songwriter magazine that his 1999 song "The Observations of a Crow" drew its inspiration during a stop on Route 66. Stuart explained how the song happened: It was when I was writing "The Pilgrim." My … Continue reading Marty Stuart song inspired by Route 66 stop