We'd heard a rumor of a new restaurant along Route 66 in Clinton, Okla., that used recipes from Pop Hicks restaurant, which burned down in a fire in 1999 and was never rebuilt. That rumor turned out to be false. However, the restaurant in question, Gayla's at the Market, turned out to have long Route … Continue reading A chip off the old block
Category: History
Book about Wagon Wheel Motel published
An illustrated book about the history of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Mo., has just been published. Riva Echols, sister of the motel's owner Connie Echols, wrote "The History of a Route 66 Icon: The Wagon Wheel Motel on Route 66" (102 pages, $15.99, paperback). According to the news release about the book: Riva … Continue reading Book about Wagon Wheel Motel published
Former Route 66 Cafe, motel put up for sale
The former Route 66 Cafe and adjacent Belvidere Motel along old 825 Old Route 66 South in Litchfield, Ill., have been put up for sale for $150,000. The restaurant's operators left the property a few years ago, telling me at the time that the landlord hadn't fixed the roof. But, according to the listing for … Continue reading Former Route 66 Cafe, motel put up for sale
AP’s video on Angel Delgadillo
As promised, the Associated Press today posted a video about Angel Delgadillo, to accompany the AP story that ran this weekend. https://youtu.be/MlHC6gSDmVg
Route 66 motel in Flagstaff played role in creation of Code Talkers
El Pueblo Motel, which sits on Route 66 in Flagstaff, Ariz., played a critical role in the creation of Navajo Code Talkers for use of military communication during World War II, according to an article today in the Arizona Daily Sun. Philip Johnson built what was then called El Pueblo Motor Inn in 1937, and … Continue reading Route 66 motel in Flagstaff played role in creation of Code Talkers
Video from Arizona’s Historic Route 66 dedication
On a weekend when Angel Delgadillo's story is being featured by the Associated Press comes this video from 1987 that was just posted on YouTube. It's a report by KTSP-TV in Phoenix on the official dedication of Historic Route 66 in Arizona from Seligman to Topock. You'll see a glimpse of Angel's now-deceased brother Juan, … Continue reading Video from Arizona’s Historic Route 66 dedication
Book review: “Ghost Towns of Route 66”
Ghost town -- a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource. -- Merriam-Webster dictionary The term "ghost town" conjures images of abandoned, dusty, and tumbleweed-strewn buildings in a once-bustling Wild West town founded in the 1800s. However, in the case of historic U.S. 66, ghost towns are … Continue reading Book review: “Ghost Towns of Route 66”
Dairy Queen officials visit original store
About 20 company officials from Minneapolis-based Dairy Queen on Friday visited the restaurant where it all started -- at 501 N. Chicago St. (aka Route 66) in Joliet, Ill., reported the Chicago Tribune. The nearby Joliet Area Historical Museum passed out free DQ Dilly Bars to visitors. Then, Curly, DQ's soft-serve cone mascot, led the … Continue reading Dairy Queen officials visit original store
Students help design Mickey Mantle projects
Students from Oklahoma State University helped design what will be called Mickey Mantle Monument Park and other related projects in the Route 66 town of Commerce, Okla., where Mantle grew up, according to a story in the Tulsa World. A 9-foot-tall Mickey Mantle statue dedicated last summer stands at Mickey Mantle Field, next to a … Continue reading Students help design Mickey Mantle projects
Pearls of news items
Today, I was asked to attend the Route 66 Archives and Research Collaboration at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. The event was organized by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. I made my pitch for the ample online news archives of Route 66 News. But, as is typical of such gatherings, I heard a few pearls of … Continue reading Pearls of news items