Occasionally, you'll find out about something you unwittingly passed dozens of time but never saw. One of those things is the so-called Lincoln County Express, a child-sized locomotive and other metal sculptures that apparently have sat off Route 66 east of Stroud, Oklahoma, for decades. Tulsa photographer Rhys Martin discovered it in June 2014; apparently vegetation conceals it from … Continue reading All aboard the Lincoln County Express
Category: History
Gateway Arch marks 50th year
Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Gateway Arch, the best-known symbol for the city of St. Louis. Indeed, it's one of the most famous monuments in the world, and although it isn't on Route 66, it remains a popular destination for tourists who are traveling the Mother Road. Much of the … Continue reading Gateway Arch marks 50th year
A closer look at McLean, Texas
The Once Upon a Town project -- a collaborative film effort that explores historic towns in Texas -- recently completed an eight-minute film about the Route 66 community of McLean, Texas. You'll see longtime Route 66 advocate Delbert Trew interviewed, along with a lot of nice drone-aircraft footage of McLean. https://youtu.be/1MIws0cvizk The Devil's Rope Museum … Continue reading A closer look at McLean, Texas
California Route 66 Museum marks 20th year
The California Route 66 Museum in Victorville marked its 20th year of operation Saturday with a car show and hundreds of visitors -- and lots of anticipation for Route 66's 90th anniversary next year, reported the Daily Dispatch newspaper. The museum is open from Wednesday through Monday, with the other two days open by appointment … Continue reading California Route 66 Museum marks 20th year
More long-ago Route 66 adventures in a 1959 Cadillac
Anthony Reichardt recently posted more videos from 1994 and 1995 when he drove Route 66 in a 1959 Cadillac. The first is of the Hackberry General Store in Hackberry, Arizona, when it was owned and operated by the now-deceased Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. When you hear him talk about bats, you know you're listening … Continue reading More long-ago Route 66 adventures in a 1959 Cadillac
“The Club”
"Route 66: The Mother Road" author Michael Wallis emailed this essay, titled "The Club," on Monday night, just days after the remaining walls of the historic but long-closed Club Cafe in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, were torn down. I commend this to your attention. Below is the essay in its entirety. --- It was a … Continue reading “The Club”
Last of the Club Cafe building comes down
The remains of the storied but long-closed Club Cafe restaurant in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, were torn down Friday, according to reporting by the Guadalupe County Communicator. The newspaper's publisher, M.E. Sprengelmeyer, posted the above photograph on Facebook about midday Friday. We'd cruised by the site a few days before. All the debris was cleared … Continue reading Last of the Club Cafe building comes down
Ten years
On Oct. 10, 2005, in just the second day of Route 66 News' existence, I hit the "publish" button on a post titled "Has it been 10 years already?" The post was about the anniversary of the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville. Today, that title could apply again, for it is the 10th anniversary of Route … Continue reading Ten years
Former president of Frankoma Pottery dies
Joniese Frank, the daughter of Frankoma Pottery's founder and president and CEO of the company along Route 66 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, for almost 20 years, died at age 77 on Wednesday, according to the Tulsa World. John Frank established Frankoma Pottery in 1933 in Norman, Oklahoma, before moving it to Sapulpa. She took over as … Continue reading Former president of Frankoma Pottery dies
Book review: “The Trip”
A trip on Route 66 often changes the life of the person taking that journey. Andy Warhol's trip from New York City to Los Angeles in 1963 -- much of it on 66 -- probably didn't change his career, but it accelerated it into him becoming a Pop Art icon. Deborah Davis makes the case about … Continue reading Book review: “The Trip”