"The 66 Kid" is not your typical memoir. Then again, Bob Boze Bell isn't a typical fellow. Nearly all memoirs consist of a few hundred typewritten pages with a few dozen black-and-white photos crammed into the center. But Boze, best-known as owner of True West magazine and as a western-themed artist, treats his early life story … Continue reading Book review: “The 66 Kid”
Category: History
East St. Louis courthouse added to National Register
The Melvin Price Federal Building and U.S. courthouse in East St. Louis, Illinois, was added to the National Register of Historic Places effective Aug. 8, according to an email this week from the National Park Service. The courthouse, which also was a post office, is at 750 Missouri Ave (map here). Missouri Avenue served as Route 66 in … Continue reading East St. Louis courthouse added to National Register
A look at Route 66 in 1985
This 1-hour, 42-minute documentary film from 1985, "Route 66," has been making the rounds on the Internet since it was uploaded it on YouTube a few days ago and Route 66 yahoogroup creator Greg Laxton posted it on Facebook. Roadies praise it because it provides the Mother Road's most comprehensive look just before U.S. 66 was … Continue reading A look at Route 66 in 1985
A closer look at Tulsa’s Route 66 Village
Explore Tulsa recently uploaded this informative clip about the Route 66 Village in southwest Tulsa. Mike Massey, train project manager, explains the vintage Frisco Meteor 4500 locomotive, rail cars and the Red Fork commemorative oil derrick on the site. https://youtu.be/9SDBcLIgjgs I do hope the volunteers can renovate the inside of that circa-1929 passenger car so … Continue reading A closer look at Tulsa’s Route 66 Village
St. Louis cemetery named to National Historic Register
Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, which dates to 1849, was listed to the National Register of Historic Places effective July 3, according to an email a few days ago from the National Park Service. Ironically, the cemetery contains several gravesites or mausoleums -- including the Louis Sullivan-designed Wainwright Tomb -- that already were listed on … Continue reading St. Louis cemetery named to National Historic Register
Questions for Clint Eastwood and his Tucumcari time
David Stevens, editor of the Clovis News Journal and Portales News-Tribune in New Mexico, in a column said he had a few questions for potential interview subjects about long-ago local issues. Stevens' wish list had some urgency because all the people "are getting old," he said. One of those interview subjects would be actor Clint Eastwood, … Continue reading Questions for Clint Eastwood and his Tucumcari time
New statues coming to Route 66 in Illinois
A series of new statues and wayside kiosks will be erected in nine towns along Route 66 in Illinois, according to a news release. The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway project was paid for by grants from National Scenic Byway Program and the Illinois Office of Tourism. The new kiosks and statues add to the 31 wayside exhibits and … Continue reading New statues coming to Route 66 in Illinois
Los Angeles and Woody Guthrie
Folk singer Woody Guthrie's many links to Route 66 have been long documented. However, this excellent clip by filmmaker Aric Allen shows that Los Angeles played a crucial role in Guthrie's road to fame in 1937. Amazingly, many of the places where Guthrie hung around in L.A. still exist, as this film shows. https://youtu.be/FCh4O9nv0mo (Image … Continue reading Los Angeles and Woody Guthrie
Traveling Route 66 exhibit planned for Europe
Three men are planning an unprecedented traveling Route 66 exhibit that will be taken around Europe -- which is a hotbed of enthusiasm for the Mother Road. The men planning the exhibit are Jim Farber, who helped shepherd the current "Route 66: The Road and the Romance" exhibit at the Autry National Museum at Los … Continue reading Traveling Route 66 exhibit planned for Europe
‘Million Dollar Courthouse’ needs $20 million in fixes
Locals probably were startled and even irritated when the construction budget for the Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville, Illinois, swelled from $50,000 to $1.3 million by the time it was finished in 1870. That's why the landmark has been called the "Million Dollar Courthouse," for good or ill, ever since. Imagine their reaction when, more … Continue reading ‘Million Dollar Courthouse’ needs $20 million in fixes