The low water level of the Sangamon River has exposed what is likely the foundation of Carpenter's Mill, which operated in the mid-1800s on the north side of Springfield, Ill., reported The State Journal-Register. The location is near the Business 55 Bridge, also is Route 66. The newspaper reported: The mill operated between 1830 and … Continue reading Low river exposes remnants of Springfield mill
Category: History
A chat with Ariston Cafe’s owner
"Hope In Your Hometown," a video series by The Journal-News in Hillsboro, Ill., has posted an interview with Nick Adam, longtime owner of the historic Ariston Cafe, a Route 66 landmark in Litchfield, Ill. https://youtu.be/zIZznYAHpn8 Adam has several good stories to tell. But you may have to turn up the volume on your computer or … Continue reading A chat with Ariston Cafe’s owner
A virtual tour of old Cajon Pass
Backroads West, which recently posted excellent videos about Route 66 from Victorville to Barstow in California, has just posted a new clip about the pre-Route 66 alignment of the Cajon Pass. https://youtu.be/w05830KU78o Much of the road shown in the video dates to 1914 -- more than a decade before U.S. Highway 66 was commissioned.
Several Missouri Route 66 oral histories placed online
Missouri State University has placed online several interview transcripts and photos from the Route 66 Oral History Project, conducted by members of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Conducted in 2005-06, the interview subjects were: Robert Boots, whose parents owned the Boots Motel and Boots Drive-In in Carthage, Mo. Julia Chaney, wife of Red Chaney, … Continue reading Several Missouri Route 66 oral histories placed online
Tales from the Dust Bowl
This Land Press, based in Tulsa, recently put together this audio story about the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, combining clips from the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program and narration by musician and historian Tom Naples. What's eerie about this program is that Oklahoma -- and much of the U.S. -- also is going through a … Continue reading Tales from the Dust Bowl
Litchfield wants more data about Route 66 museum before giving money
The City Council of Litchfield, Ill., wants more information from the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center before it honors a request for a $20,000 donation, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. Museum officials initially requested $100,000 in motel tax funds from the city. But Mayor Tom Jones and other councilors reduced that amount, and … Continue reading Litchfield wants more data about Route 66 museum before giving money
Cozy Dog will be subject of Food Network program
The Cozy Dog Drive-In, a fixture along Route 66 in Springfield, Ill., for six decades, soon will host a camera crew from the Food Channel to show how the restaurant's cozy dogs are prepared, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register in a story about tourism in the city. According to the newspaper, filming will take place on … Continue reading Cozy Dog will be subject of Food Network program
Litchfield Route 66 museum asks for hotel tax funds
Board members for the under-construction Litchfield Route 66 Museum and Welcome Center in Litchfield, Ill., requested $100,000 in hotel-tax funds from the city for equipment and supplies, reported The Journal-News. However, a city committee trimmed that possible grant to $20,000, and it still has to be approved by the full council. Officials undoubtedly balked at … Continue reading Litchfield Route 66 museum asks for hotel tax funds
Was Depew the first Route 66 town to be bypassed?
The jury's still out on exact dates and other historical data. But a roadie has compiled compelling information that indicates Depew, Okla., was the first incorporated Route 66 town to be bypassed -- way back in 1928. When U.S. Highway 66 was certified in 1926, the road made a horseshoe-shaped loop through downtown Depew on … Continue reading Was Depew the first Route 66 town to be bypassed?
The story behind Ambler-Becker Texaco
Here's the latest of the Route 66 Stories video series for Illinois. This one's an interview with Phil Becker, longtime operator of the Ambler-Becker Texaco station in Dwight. https://youtu.be/dBYY2Ze05x0 The station no longer operates as a gas station, but has been converted into a visitors center.