A few years ago, I tracked down Rudy Gonzales of Tucumcari, N.M., who hand-painted signs along the Route 66 corridor in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico for five decades. Another sign painter has operated along Route 66 for about as long in eastern Arizona. According to an article in the Arizona Journal, Severo Barela of … Continue reading Another sign painter with a long history on Route 66
Category: History
Should Route 66 towns that were sundown towns apologize?
The above image is a postcard of the long-gone Royce Cafe along Route 66 in Edmond, Okla., from the 1930s or '40s. Do you see anything different about it? If you're not spotting it, here's a close-up the unusual part: The "6,000 Live Citizens -- No Negroes" part of the postcard was a symptom that … Continue reading Should Route 66 towns that were sundown towns apologize?
Case squad tackles unsolved murder on Route 66
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office in northern Arizona has assembled a cold-case squad in an effort to solve about three dozen long-unsolved murders in the area, including one on Route 66 just east of Twin Arrows more than 40 years ago, reported the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper. A group of are criminal investigators and retired law … Continue reading Case squad tackles unsolved murder on Route 66
“American Giants,” Episode 8
Here is the eighth episode of Joel Baker's ongoing "American Giants" series about roadside fiberglass giants, also known as Muffler Men. https://youtu.be/nHZekubninc This episode covers the last of the Muffler Men in Chicago, including one extensively modified into a Frankenstein monster. Baker told me that the next episode will take place in Dodge City, Kan.
Scout replants crosses at Route 66 cemetery
KOTV in Tulsa unearthed this remarkable story about a Boy Scout and a cemetery for a long-gone poor farm along Route 66 near Bristow, Okla. NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com | Richard Dye, 17, was the one with the idea to plant new and improved white crosses at … Continue reading Scout replants crosses at Route 66 cemetery
On the Mother Road with Freeway Jim
A fellow on YouTube by the name of Freeway Jim takes a lot of video of his travels. A few days ago, he posted "Off the Beaten Path" videos of sections of Route 66 that were bypassed by Interstate 40. Although they're high-definition, the speeded-up videos aren't remarkable by themselves. What's interesting are the annotations, … Continue reading On the Mother Road with Freeway Jim
Andy Granatelli, race car owner and Route 66 Hall of Famer, dies
Andy Granatelli, who became famous as an owner of a winning Indianapolis 500 race car and as a CEO of STP motor oil, died Sunday in Santa Barbara, Calif., at age 90 of congestive heart failure, according to varying media outlets, including the New York Times. Granatelli also was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 … Continue reading Andy Granatelli, race car owner and Route 66 Hall of Famer, dies
Old Cathedral in St. Louis undergoing restoration
The Old Cathedral in St. Louis, located next to the Gateway Arch grounds, is undergoing a privately funded $10 million restoration, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The newspaper detailed what will happen to the 1834 church, also known as the Basilica of St. Louis King of France: [T]he Old Cathedral will have new windows, air-conditioning … Continue reading Old Cathedral in St. Louis undergoing restoration
A closer look at the MacArthur Bridge
Rich Dinkela produced this video that takes an in-depth look at the long-closed MacArthur Bridge that connects East St. Louis, Ill., to St. Louis and served as an early alignment of Route 66. The bridge also has been called the St. Louis Municipal Bridge or Free Bridge. The bridge has been fenced off and part … Continue reading A closer look at the MacArthur Bridge
Where Cars Land got its inspiration
This video shows how Disney engineers (they're called Imagineers) traveled Route 66 to research and figure out the right look for a life-size fictional town of Radiator Springs for Cars Land at Disneyland California Adventure. https://youtu.be/dKYi8gbbIn0 Route 66 author and "Cars" actor Michael Wallis led the trip about five years ago. My story about that … Continue reading Where Cars Land got its inspiration