The Artsy website posted a well-researched article of how the Cadillac Ranch art installation in Amarillo, Texas, came to be, including vintage photos of it being built. Cadillac Ranch turned into a roadside icon -- including for Route 66 travelers -- in the four decades since local tycoon Stanley Marsh 3 commissioned it from the Ant Farm … Continue reading The early history of Cadillac Ranch
Category: History
New East Town mural dedicated in Joplin
Residents dedicated a new, 60-foot-long mural at 621 Langston Hughes-Broadway (aka Route 66) in Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday. According to the Joplin Globe, the mural on the side wall of a former grocery store depicts the history of the city's historic East Town neighborhood. About 200 people, many of them East Town residents, attended the ceremony. The mural is … Continue reading New East Town mural dedicated in Joplin
Museum unearths Red Chief Motel diner mural
A museum recently uncovered a nearly forgotten Native American-themed mural from the diner of the Red Chief Motel in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Officials at the Cooper Regional History Museum in nearby Upland, California, recently took the mural out of storage and put it on display. The Red Chief's owners donated the mural in 1979 when the motel was about to be … Continue reading Museum unearths Red Chief Motel diner mural
Hotel plan may endanger original Barney’s Beanery
The original Barney's Beanery restaurant and bar along Route 66 in West Hollywood, California, may be endangered by a proposed five-story hotel in that spot. The Los Angeles Times reported on a few of the details: The proposal — which is in its early stages — would see Barney’s entirely disassembled, stored offsite during construction and later rebuilt … Continue reading Hotel plan may endanger original Barney’s Beanery
Two Oklahoma properties added to National Register
Two areas of Route 66 in Oklahoma recently were named to the National Register of Historic Places, according to an email Thursday from the National Park Service. First, the register recognized the Downtown Claremore Historic District that includes a couple of blocks of Lynn Riggs Boulevard (aka Route 66) and the historic Will Rogers Hotel … Continue reading Two Oklahoma properties added to National Register
A look at “Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road”
The "Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road" show at the Albuquerque Museum ends in about 10 days. If you are unable to see it, this well-produced and remarkably comprehensive video from the city's television channel may suffice: https://youtu.be/O_zNQQQVhMY The show's curator said something notable, which is quoted here without irony: "You can see how things like signage have … Continue reading A look at “Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road”
A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968
I stumbled onto this recent video about a car accident in October 1968 that killed four teenagers on Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Fontana, California.. Two other teens died on Foothill in other accidents the same weekend. https://youtu.be/4FSmC_wKMx8 The video isn't shot by a professional, so you'll have shakiness and typical other things from … Continue reading A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968
Speakers lineup announced for Miles of Possibility Conference
The Route 66 Miles of Possibility conference recently announced its speakers for the Oct. 20-23 event at the McLean County Museum of History/Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center and the Ensenberger Building in downtown Bloomington, Illinois. Last year's Miles of Possibility in Edwardsville, Illinois, contained a slew of speakers, and this lineup looks no less abundant. Cory … Continue reading Speakers lineup announced for Miles of Possibility Conference
Book review: “Portrait of Route 66”
"Portrait of Route 66" provides many colorful or obscure images from the massive Curt Teich Postcard Archive, and it offers a look at the Mother Road from the mid-1920s to the early 1950s. But one of the most enjoyable parts of "Portrait of Route 66" (280 pages, cloth, illustrated, University of Oklahoma Press) turns out to be … Continue reading Book review: “Portrait of Route 66”
The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April
The Mill restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, likely will reopen as an area history museum in April after almost 10 years of restoration work on the Route 66 landmark. The Springfield State Journal-Register published a detailed story about The Mill and the plans for it. A $10,720 cost-share grant recently awarded by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program … Continue reading The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April