I'll bet you didn't know the vaudeville and future movie stars once owned a farm in a location that eventually would be Route 66 in Countryside, Ill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlh9CMglLWU According to the video description, the Marx Brothers' "Chicagoland" farm lay four miles west of Chicago, on the northeast corner of South LaGrange Road and Joliet Road (aka … Continue reading The Marx Brothers’ connection to Route 66
Category: History
A postcard from a bygone agricultural era
Brian Mackey wrote this exceptional story for the Springfield State Journal-Register about the historic Manske-Niemann Farm, which is south of Litchfield, Ill., just off Route 66. An excerpt: Perhaps the most remarkable fact about the Manske-Niemann Farm is that it has been continuously occupied and worked by the same family since Abraham Lincoln was in the … Continue reading A postcard from a bygone agricultural era
Exploring the Inland Empire’s Route 66
Here's a good video about The Magic Lamp Inn restaurant, which has graced Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., since 1955. This is part of the ongoing Inland Empire Explorer series. Here are more Route 66-related videos about Sierra Bakery and Wigwam Motel in Rialto, and the McDonald's Museum in San Bernardino (owned by Juan … Continue reading Exploring the Inland Empire’s Route 66
A tour of Cajon Pass
This is an enticing opportunity for history buffs. Historian Nicholas Cataldo will lead an all-day expedition at Southern California's Cajon Pass, which once carried Route 66, on March 12. According to San Bernardino County Sun columnist John Weeks: "Exploring the Cajon Pass: Gateway to the San Bernardino Valley" is offered through Cal State San Bernardino's … Continue reading A tour of Cajon Pass
Event revives the Bunion Derby
One of the fabled moments of Route 66 history was 1928's Transcontinental Foot Race, better known as the Bunion Derby. Going more than 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to New York City, it gave early publicity to the fledgling U.S. Highway 66 and provided fame and $25,000 in prize money to Oklahoma native Andy Payne, … Continue reading Event revives the Bunion Derby
“Hooked on 66” site launched
Richard Dinkela II's new website, HookedOnRoute66.com, has been live for a few days. But today was when he announced the launching of the site. Dinkela, a St. Louis resident, says it isn't just a fan site, but also a resource for those wanting to find the more obscure alignments of the Mother Road: What most … Continue reading “Hooked on 66” site launched
Arroyo Seco Parkway named to National Register
The Arroyo Seco Parkway Historic District, a highway that once carried Route 66 in Los Angeles County, was named to the National Register of Historic Places effective Feb. 4, according to a National Park Service e-mail. According to the e-mail, the historic district covers California Highway 110 from a four-level interchange in Los Angeles to East … Continue reading Arroyo Seco Parkway named to National Register
Happy ending to petroglyphs vandalism
In August, ancient petroglyphs east of Route 66 near Williams, Ariz., were found vandalized by spray paint. Experts believe the petroglyphs at Keyhole Sink are at least 1,000 years old. But according to Seth Muller at the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, the paint has been removed and the petroglyphs mostly restored: In November, Weintraub and … Continue reading Happy ending to petroglyphs vandalism
Primitive roads
Here's something fun: A two-part video about the primitive alignment of Route 66 at La Bajada Hill in New Mexico by a brave soul to drove it in an SUV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K_brKoTSpA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DgLAyXwW84 Here's a short clip on the Cuervo Cut-off of Route 66, near Cuervo, N.M. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uGJLtNHYaw A drive on Oatman Road (aka Route 66) … Continue reading Primitive roads
A history of bottle trees
I thought the dozens of bottle trees erected by Elmer Long along Route 66 in Oro Grande, Calif., were a one-of-a-kind. But apparently not, according to an article by Virginia Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer: Bottle trees are a long-standing Southern thing, embedded in the life tapestries of African Americans, especially in the Mississippi Delta. … Continue reading A history of bottle trees