Arizona historian Marshall Trimble recently won the 2010 Wild West History Association Award for lifetime contributions to the public interest, according to the Arizona Republic. Trimble, 71, was honored for for his "research, writings, speaking and multiple contributions to the history of the characters and events of Wild West History." Trimble has written more than … Continue reading Arizona historian wins prestigious award
Category: History
Bye bye, bridge
The 81-year-old Pacific Electric Railway bridge that goes over Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will be dismantled starting Sunday, reported the Contra Costa Times. Two cranes will remove the bridge and place it on the north side of Foothill Boulevard, where workers will spend the next two weeks removing paint and … Continue reading Bye bye, bridge
Is the depot suitable for Joplin museum?
A story in the Joplin Globe this week shed light on why officials with the Joplin Museum Complex are hesitating to endorse an idea to renovate the city's historic railroad depot and move the museum there. [T]he existing interior space is less than the current museum’s, he said, based on his staff’s measurements of the … Continue reading Is the depot suitable for Joplin museum?
That’s re-certifiable
Kevin Klowden of the Milken Institute wrote in an opinion piece today on the Fox & Hounds Daily blog, proclaiming that one way to stimulate a flagging U.S. economy is to reinvest in Route 66 and thus boost tourism. That sounds good at first glance. But then Klowden veers in this direction -- he wants … Continue reading That’s re-certifiable
Notes from the road
A few weeks ago, while geocaching near Route 66 in Riverton, Kan., we found out about the strange story of May D. Knotts. According to a geocaching site, May D. Knotts was said to have been hanged from an old oak tree in 1904 after it was discovered that she was a witch. Knotts, who … Continue reading Notes from the road
Making tracks
Dave Bakke of the Springfield State Journal-Register takes a closer look at the set of turkey tracks that were left on a section of original Route 66 near Nilwood, Ill., between 1926 and 1930. Those turkey tracks wouldn’t be the attraction they are if not for Bob Donaldson. Bob moved into his house right on … Continue reading Making tracks
Found: the Texola monument
A few days ago, Corkey Mayberry of Park Hills, Mo., wondered what happened to a Texas-shaped monument that greeted Route 66 travelers in the border town of Texola, Okla. Mayberry and his wife had their picture taken at the monument in 1955. On a Route 66 trip a few weeks ago, Mayberry tried to find … Continue reading Found: the Texola monument
Book about ghosts along Missouri Route 66 will be published
Janice Tremeear of Springfield, Mo., is writing a book titled "Route 66 Hauntings in Missouri: The Show-Me State Ghosts of the Mother Road," which concentrates on ghost sightings and other mysteries along or near Route 66, according to a story in the Springfield News-Leader. Tremeear's book will list Springfield as the birthplace of Route 66 … Continue reading Book about ghosts along Missouri Route 66 will be published
Route 66 nearly 60 years ago
Route 66 enthusiast and author Joe Sonderman said he recently acquired a DVD from an Albuquerque man of home-movie footage during a Route 66 trip in 1953 from Chicago to Los Angeles. As Sonderman said on his Facebook account about the footage: "The Youtube quality doesn't do it justice and it could stand some editing. … Continue reading Route 66 nearly 60 years ago
A glimpse of the past
Here's a television commercial for the Spring River Inn, off old Route 66 in Riverton, Kan. The once-popular restaurant closed in 1996 and burned down in 1998. The only evidence of its existence is a now-decrepit neon sign near the former entrance.