KFDA-TV in Amarillo, Texas, is reporting that the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., will install a Route 66 interpretive exhibit at the Tucumcari Convention Center. The kiosk will having photos and information about the Mother Road's history in Tucumcari. Also, a DVD about Route 66 will be available for visitors. The kiosk will be … Continue reading Route 66 kiosk coming to Tucumcari
Category: History
Blue plate specials
Chicago Sun-Times columnist and longtime roadie Dave Hoekstra was asked to create a blue plate special. The term "blue plate special" came from the low-cost meals served by Fred Harvey Restaurants starting in the 1890s. But no, Hoekstra wasn't asked to fix dinner in the kitchen. He was one of nearly 50 Chicago residents who … Continue reading Blue plate specials
Fire destroys Bristow Motor Co. building
The historic Bristow Motor Co. building on Route 66 in Bristow, Okla., was destroyed by fire Thursday afternoon, reported the Daily Oklahoman. The building, built in 1923 at 500 N. Main St., was a Bolin Ford dealership. The Tulsa World reports that one firefighter was injured, but not seriously. The fire began in a car … Continue reading Fire destroys Bristow Motor Co. building
Sidewalk highway
Here's a little video I spliced together of the 9-foot-wide "Sidewalk Highway" of Route 66 near Afton, Okla. There's a similar such segment near Miami, Okla. The narrow highway was built in 1922, a few years before it was designated as U.S. 66. Reputedly, there was not enough money to build a full-sized highway, so … Continue reading Sidewalk highway
Tulsa art deco film airs tonight
If you live in or are traveling northeastern Oklahoma on Tuesday night, you may want to tune into KTUL-TV on Channel 8. That's when the station premieres Jack Frank's latest Tulsa historical film, "Tulsa Deco." Frank has produced two other acclaimed films about Tulsa's past, with much of the material coming from home movies or … Continue reading Tulsa art deco film airs tonight
Book review: “Roads to Quoz”
After losing his job and marriage, William Least Heat-Moon and his Ford Econoline van (dubbed Ghost Dancing) embarked on a 13,000-mile journey around America. He avoided the interstates and drove two-lane highways and country roads. He eschewed chain restaurants for mom-and-pop eateries. And he met a lot of interesting people. "Blue Highways: A Journey into … Continue reading Book review: “Roads to Quoz”
Historical icon returning to Miami
There was a time that an Ozark Trail obelisk once graced the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla. It's been gone for many years. But, according to the Miami News-Record, it will return: On Monday, councilmembers accepted the recommendation that a 21-foot obelisk be placed on the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street - … Continue reading Historical icon returning to Miami
Another stocking-stuffer
In case you didn't get to the National Preservation Conference in Tulsa last month, you now can buy over the Internet the Route 66 T-shirts recently created by the folks at Vintage Roadside, which specializes in putting retro graphics from defunct roadside businesses onto apparel. Here's the story about this T-shirt: Route 66, also known … Continue reading Another stocking-stuffer
Cataloging the past
Phil Gordon, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., dropped me an e-mail to let me know about an admirable project that he's undertaking -- he's trying to collect and catalog all the linen postcards that were issued along Route 66. He's set up a Web site to list all of these postcards. He has them grouped … Continue reading Cataloging the past
“Route 66 Railway” book is out
Railroad buff Elrond Lawrence long-gestating book about Route 66 and its historical relationship with Santa Fe/BNSF, "Route 66 Railway" (176 pages, $49.50, Los Angeles Historical Railroad Foundation) is now being shipped. An article in the Salinas Californian, Lawrence tells about how and why the book came about: "My goal was to recall the days when … Continue reading “Route 66 Railway” book is out