I went on a hot Thursday morning to the dedication ceremony for the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Centennial Plaza and Memorial Bridge in Tulsa. Except for the "East Meets West" statue that will be coming later this year, the plaza complex has been finished for several weeks. You can read more about the actual ceremony … Continue reading Cyrus Avery Plaza dedicated
Category: History
The story of Budville, Part 2
This is the second part of the history of Budville, N.M., published in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. The second installment focuses on the sensational trial of the man accused of killing Budville trading post owner Bud Rice and Rice's part-time employee. It's a extremely well-written account, and you'll find there aren't a lot of white … Continue reading The story of Budville, Part 2
The story of Budville, Part 1
The Valencia County News-Bulletin in New Mexico published an excellent story about the history of Budville, the old Route 66 trading post between Albuquerque and Grants, N.M. Go read it. The 1967 slaying of owner Bud Rice and a retired schoolteacher who helped him is a tragic tale. But, as the article ably describes, the … Continue reading The story of Budville, Part 1
Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
A bunch of people are on board for moving the Meramec Valley Historical Museum into the shuttered Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., and using the old museum property for a Catholic school. Route 66ers, the mayor of Pacific, the Red Cedar's owner and a slew of state and federal officials are all in favor … Continue reading Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Southern California reports that thefts of scrap metal have become so widespread that thieves are even stealing historic-marker plaques. The Trails Restaurant Plaque sat only feet from Huntington Drive in Duarte, in front of the homes built on the acreage where this once celebrated Route 66 icon stood for … Continue reading Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves
“Route 66 in New Mexico”
This broadcast by New Mexico PBS station KNME has been posted on YouTube in seven parts, totaling about 55 minutes. It's an exceptional program, with fascinating interviews, well-researched history, fine cinematography and vintage photos and film. It's fairly new; you can see the Blue Swallow Motel's newer paint job in it. I commend it to … Continue reading “Route 66 in New Mexico”
Last of the breed
Here's a short video about the last surviving gas station in the once-formidable Whiting Bros. chain. It is on Route 66 in Moriarty, N.M.
Book review: “Story of the Free 72-oz. Steak”
The first thing you notice is the cover. Beneath huge, Old West letters is a painting of a 1960s Chevrolet Impala pointed into a red-and-orange sunset, pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant with a neon sign featuring a giant cowboy and a fiberglass steer on the roof. Below that is a photo of … Continue reading Book review: “Story of the Free 72-oz. Steak”
A visit to Two Guns
This is a slide show of the ruins of the former Route 66 tourist trap of Two Guns, Ariz. Here's a history about Two Guns.
Book review: “Route 66 in St. Louis”
In addition to guidebooks devoted to all 2,400 miles of Route 66, a bunch of volumes have been published that are more narrowly focused by geography. Individual books have been devoted to the Mother Road in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California, in addition to the cities of Los Angeles and Chicago. However, … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 in St. Louis”