Here's a video shot in 2009 by Channeling Media when it was pitching Dawn Welch and her Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., for a possible Food Network show. It was about a year after the historic Route 66 restaurant was gutted by a fire and rebuilt. The cable channel passed on the idea, but Welch … Continue reading The Rock Cafe, circa 2009
Category: History
Ostrich farm led to a stretch of Route 66
A small section of Sunset Boulevard (aka Route 66) in the Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles is lined with sandstone bluffs. That "cut" dates to an 1887 railroad line to an ostrich farm. No kidding. This video explains: https://youtu.be/szlrNfuRVb0 If you'd like to explore it yourself, here's a Google Map of the location. The … Continue reading Ostrich farm led to a stretch of Route 66
Mitchell Caverns vandalized after state closes it
Mitchell Caverns, part of the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area in Southern California's Mojave Desert, was extensively vandalized after it was closed last spring due to state budget cuts, reported the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported: Intruders cut fences, kicked doors off of hinges and shattered windows and display cases. They stole metal signs and … Continue reading Mitchell Caverns vandalized after state closes it
A rare treat
Rich Dinkela, fresh off his prize money of free gasoline for a year from Phillips 66, found a way to get to the long-abandoned Painted Desert Trading Post, on an old and forlorn stretch of Route 66 in eastern Arizona. https://youtu.be/FfyLiT1KrGQ This old section of the Mother Road has been rendered inaccessible by a gate … Continue reading A rare treat
“John Steinbeck: Voice of America”
If you have some time to kill, I highly recommend you watch this well-produced and thought-provoking one-hour segment by the BBC. The program deals with the life of John Steinbeck, author of "The Grapes of Wrath." Naturally, it's got plenty of Route 66-related content. https://youtu.be/xDL5T8IuMvw
Queen of the Southwest
KBAQ radio in Phoenix has been broadcasting a series titled "Hearing the Century: Voices of Arizona's Arts Past and Present" during the state's centennial. A recent broadcast focused on early 20th-century architect Mary Colter, widely recognized as one of the greatest of the Southwest. A longtime architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company, Colter's … Continue reading Queen of the Southwest
State may provide grant for Santa Rosa warehouse
The New Mexico Legislature was set to give $325,000 to help revitalize the historic Ilfeld Warehouse in downtown Santa Rosa and create a Route 66 museum there, according to the town's newspaper. The Guadalupe County Communicator, in its print edition, reported that the legislation would "set aside the funds toward creation of a Route 66 … Continue reading State may provide grant for Santa Rosa warehouse
Litchfield getting organized for its Route 66 museum
The group that's seeking to build a Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center in Litchfield, Ill., seems to be fairly well-organized. According to a report in The Journal-News, based in nearby Hillsboro, the group has: Landed a general contractor, who pledges to use subcontractors and supplies entirely from Litchfield, except for the neon lighting. … Continue reading Litchfield getting organized for its Route 66 museum
Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famer dies
Former Illinois State Police Capt. Francis Mowery, who was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, died at age 99 last week, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. The Illinois Route 66 Association reported Mowery's death today on its website. Mowery was among the very first members inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Hall of Famer dies
Kickstarter campaign begun for U.S. 40 book
Frank Brusca, a longtime researcher of U.S. 40, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finish a book about the historic highway he's been working on for decades. This is a little off-topic, but Route 66 fans often are fans of other historic highways, including U.S. 40, aka the National Road. Brusca also has inspired … Continue reading Kickstarter campaign begun for U.S. 40 book