While Emily and I were cruising an older alignment of Route 66 in Tulsa a few weekends ago, she noticed what appeared to be an entranceway to an underground pedestrian tunnel that goes under Admiral Place (aka 66) near Harvard Avenue. Sure enough, it was. It was locked at the time we checked it, but … Continue reading Walking under the Mother Road
Category: History
Illinois Route 66 Association announces its Hall of Fame inductees
The Illinois Route 66 Association announced its Class of 2010 for its Route 66 Hall of Fame. Here is the complete list, courtesy of the association: 817 Hillsboro (known as Halley's) in Edwardsville The building at 817 Hillsboro in Edwardsville was built in 1914 and started as a cash & carry mom-and-pop market called Barns … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Association announces its Hall of Fame inductees
Remaking the Nelson Tavern
Willem Bor of the Netherlands won't be in Lebanon, Mo., until June to dedicate his painstakingly detailed diorama of the old Nelson Tavern in the Lebanon/Laclede County Route 66 Society's museum. However, Bor made a video that shows how the Nelson Tavern diorama was done. Bor's Web site about his upcoming Route 66 trip is … Continue reading Remaking the Nelson Tavern
Referendum for Joplin museum expansion fails
A one-sixth sales-tax referendum that would have financed the conversion of Memorial Hall into expanded digs for the Joplin Museum Complex failed by a 4-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results tabulated Tuesday night by the Joplin Globe. According to the Globe shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, the referendum gained just 928 "yes" votes against 3,882 "no" votes. … Continue reading Referendum for Joplin museum expansion fails
Notes from the road
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is sponsoring a clean-up day on Saturday, April 17, at the old Ozark Trail section of Route 66 west of Sapulpa. This project is in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful programs. Work will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. The association wants … Continue reading Notes from the road
Fire threatens Victorville museum
A fire that gutted the historic Halstead Building in downtown Victorville, Calif., threatened the nearby California Route 66 Museum on Friday morning, reported the Daily Press. Scores of firefighters were able to beat back the blaze from damaging the museum. But the Halstead Building was a total loss. The Halstead Building was home to the … Continue reading Fire threatens Victorville museum
Museum waits and waits and waits
The Illinois State Police Museum, located on Route 66 on the northeast side of Springfield, Ill., was initially awarded a $100,000 state grant in 2002 for expansion. Eight years and three governors (of two political parties) later, the museum is still waiting for that grant, according to the State Journal-Register. And while the $100,000 grant … Continue reading Museum waits and waits and waits
Computer pioneer dies
Ed Roberts, a pioneer in the personal computer industry, died today at age 68 after a bout with pneumonia. According to an obituary on TechFlash, Roberts created the early MITS Altair 8800 computer, which inspired Paul Allen and Bill Gates to launch an early version of BASIC and thus giving birth to Microsoft. What does … Continue reading Computer pioneer dies
Notes from the road
The neon sign of the historic Tower Theater in Oklahoma City will be relighted during a ceremony Friday evening. The theater, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, will see its restored neon blazing away again at 6:30 p.m. that day after decades in the dark. Here's more about the theater, according to records … Continue reading Notes from the road
Route 66 sites again make Preservation Oklahoma’s endangered list
For the second consecutive year, Preservation Oklahoma has placed Route 66 sites on its 2010 list of the most-endangered historic sites. From the group's Web site: Across the state, and even the country, buildings, bridges and other structures, and even paving materials are linked to the well-known history of Route 66. These resources share in … Continue reading Route 66 sites again make Preservation Oklahoma’s endangered list