I know many Route 66 aficionados are loathe to give restaurant chains any sort of attention. But a tour on April 22 led by historian Chris Nichols explores the very early history of McDonald's, from when the McDonald brothers came to Southern California to when Ray Kroc buys the business. And, yes, there is a … Continue reading McDonald’s history tour
Category: History
Coliseum Ballroom in Benld is for sale
The historic Coliseum Ballroom, located on the 1926-34 alignment of Route 66 in Benld, Ill., is for sale, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The asking price: $210,000. And maybe, just maybe, the Coliseum will be returned to its original incarnation -- a live-music venue. And both of two prospective buyers would like to see … Continue reading Coliseum Ballroom in Benld is for sale
Trout Fishing in Miami
Route 66 got a hefty dose of music and humor Tuesday night as the Coleman Theatre Beautiful in Miami, Okla., hosted Trout Fishing in America. Trout, for the uninitiated, is a two-man folk band made up of guitarist Ezra Idlet and bass player Keith Grimwood. The pair, who look about like Mutt and Jeff (Idlet … Continue reading Trout Fishing in Miami
Crime on 66
People often complain about how crime is so much worse now. But crime was present even in the "good ol' days." Route 66 advocate Delbert Trew writes in his column (free registration required) for the Amarillo Globe-News about criminal activity on Route 66 in the 1930s, including a near-fatal bank heist in Alanreed, Texas, along … Continue reading Crime on 66
Here’s one who doesn’t get it
Peter Hannaford of American Spectator spends much of his column praising the interstate highway system and its homogeneity (I'm not kidding). He also writes about Route 66: Along the way, much is made of the old Highway 66, the Route 66 of song (as in "You'll Get Your Kicks on Route 66"). This went from … Continue reading Here’s one who doesn’t get it
A Route 66 refresher
The Did You Know? blog today features the history, facts and figures about Route 66. It's a pretty good overview, except for this one item: Route 66 was also the popular truck route because it was mostly flat. Well, no. I would never describe much of Missouri, parts of eastern Oklahoma, much of New Mexico … Continue reading A Route 66 refresher
The granddaddy road of them all
Route 66 is marking its 80th anniversary this year. I'm setting aside a moment in appreciation for the 200th anniversary of the National Road, which is Wednesday, according to the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun. Just think of that for a minute. Thomas Jefferson was president when he signed the bill to create the National Road, which … Continue reading The granddaddy road of them all
Two new Route 66 books are out
Bob Moore, executive editor of Route 66 Magazine, has alerted the Route 66 yahoogroup about two new books. I'm quoting him here: "Oatman: History, Recipes and Ghost Stories," by Jackie Rowland. Many of you know Jackie as the proprieter of Fast Fanny's Place in Oatman, Ariz. Well, she is now an author of a great … Continue reading Two new Route 66 books are out
A real character of the road dies
I hadn't heard of Riley B. Thompson, who died at age 82 on Saturday. But I'm sure some of the old-timers of Route 66 in Southern California have. Check out the obituary in the Daily Press. After serving in the Marine Corps, Thompson moved to the High Desert in 1950 and worked providing vehicles and … Continue reading A real character of the road dies
American Indian museum is under siege
This dispute is complicated. But it seems the Autry National Center wants the Southwest Museum of the American Indian to move from its historic 1914 building near the Pasadena Freeway (Route 66) to an expanded facility in Griffith Park. The Southwest Museum's supporters, Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition, don't want it to move, and … Continue reading American Indian museum is under siege