Each week, I receive an email from the National Park Service that provides the latest additions to the National Register of Historic Places. A few sites are relevant to Route 66, as you might imagine. On Friday, this item led the listings: ARIZONA, COCONINO COUNTY, 1956 Grand Canyon TWA--United Airlines Aviation Accident Site Address Restricted, … Continue reading The oddest site on the National Register of Historic Places
Category: History
A sneak peek of the Autry Museum’s Route 66 exhibit
The "Route 66: The Road and the Romance" exhibit at the Autry National Museum in Los Angeles won't open until June 8. However, Maren Dougherty, director of communications at the museum, sent images of some of the photographs, artwork and artifacts that will displayed. So here's a bit of a preview of the exhibit. Arthur Rothstein (1915–1985), Landscape … Continue reading A sneak peek of the Autry Museum’s Route 66 exhibit
The road ahead … and behind
I'm closely following National Geographic writer Andrew Evans' trip on Route 66. If you aren't following his Twitter account and his real-time posts from the Mother Road, you should. By my reckoning, he's fired off more than 200 tweets -- most of them with photographs -- and he hasn't even made to the midpoint of his journey. During … Continue reading The road ahead … and behind
“The Grapes of Wrath” was published 75 years ago today
John Steinbeck's famous novel about the Great Depression and a family's Moses-like journey on Route 66, "The Grapes of Wrath," was published 75 years ago today. The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, Calif., is marking the anniversary all year, and I'll post a review of a new book about the writing of the novel when … Continue reading “The Grapes of Wrath” was published 75 years ago today
Route 66 added to Oklahoma’s endangered places list
Preservation Oklahoma unveiled its annual Endangered Places in Oklahoma list on Tuesday night, and Route 66 was included among them. David Pettyjohn, executive director for the group, explained why in an Enid News and Eagle report: “When we look at Route 66, it’s not just the road. It’s the structures along the road. It’s the … Continue reading Route 66 added to Oklahoma’s endangered places list
Route 66’s lifeguard
The Bloomington Pantagraph recently published a profile about longtime Illinois state trooper Chester Henry, who patrolled Route 66 and Interstate 55 in the Pontiac area for more than 25 years and wrote an estimated 50,000 speeding tickets. Henry, now 84, has been retired for about 30 years. He still drives his old beat from time … Continue reading Route 66’s lifeguard
Autry museum launches fundraiser for Route 66 exhibit
The Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles has launched an online fundraising campaign to help pay for its upcoming and long-awaited “Route 66: The Road and the Romance," according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The Autry wants to raise $66,000 within 30 days through IndieGoGo. The campaign launched Tuesday; through … Continue reading Autry museum launches fundraiser for Route 66 exhibit
Antique truck show will feature Campbell 66 Express
The American Truck Historical Society's National Convention in Springfield, Mo., not only will feature cruises and speech on Route 66, but a speaker about the town's long-closed Campbell 66 Express trucking firm, according to news release from the society and its website. The convention, scheduled for May 29-31 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, will include … Continue reading Antique truck show will feature Campbell 66 Express
Tri-County Truck Stop will host ‘ghost hunt’
The long-closed Tri-County Truck Stop along Route 66 in Villa Ridge, Mo., will host a "ghost hunt" by the Paranormal Task Force on Saturday night. According to a report in the Washington Missourian, the interactive event begins at 6 p.m. and lasts until 4 a.m. The cost is $50. Tickets may be bought here. Tri-County Truck … Continue reading Tri-County Truck Stop will host ‘ghost hunt’
Southwest Missouri station puts Route 66 segments online
Years ago, KY3-TV reporter Ed Fillmer, a native of the Route 66 town of Marshfield, Mo., shot segments about Route 66 in Missouri. Yesterday, the Springfield, Mo., station put those segments online. The video cannot be embedded, but I've provided direct links and descriptions of them. Some of these videos date to the 1970s. I recommend … Continue reading Southwest Missouri station puts Route 66 segments online