Mark Muckenfuss of the Press-Enterprise has an interesting story about the history of the wagon and American Indian trails through the Mojave Desert and mountains that led to what became the Los Angeles metro area. When Route 66 was commissioned in 1926, it closely followed the Santa Fe rails through the western cities that pop … Continue reading Blazing trails
Category: History
Taking the Big Texan challenge
Kevin Connolly of BBC News Magazine decides to take the 72-ounce challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. As I prepared for my own attempt to consume 72oz (that's 4.5lb or just over two kilos) of beef in less than an hour - together with a prawn cocktail, a roll, salad and … Continue reading Taking the Big Texan challenge
More of this, please
With the resurrection of Route 66, more people are researching the history of other historic roads. According to the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Mike Conlin is researching the original path of the Jefferson Highway. I'm not familiar with that highway, but it sounds intriguing: The highway was an early cross-country connector, built in the years … Continue reading More of this, please
A juicy tale
The Route 66 town of Lincoln, Ill., at 1 p.m. Aug. 27 will hold a re-creation of Abraham Lincoln's christening of the town in 1853, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph. The approximately 20-minute ceremony will occur at 101 N. Chicago St. in Lincoln. As for what actually happened nearly 155 years ago ... It was on … Continue reading A juicy tale
A closer look at the Arroyo Seco
Jay Fisher of the New York Times' Automotive section takes a closer look at the curiosity that is the Pasadena Freeway, also known as the Arroyo Seco Parkway. It is California's first freeway, and it remains a prominent alignment of Route 66. And though it is still a freeway, it certainly does not resemble one … Continue reading A closer look at the Arroyo Seco
Cyrus Avery Plaza dedicated
I went on a hot Thursday morning to the dedication ceremony for the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Centennial Plaza and Memorial Bridge in Tulsa. Except for the "East Meets West" statue that will be coming later this year, the plaza complex has been finished for several weeks. You can read more about the actual ceremony … Continue reading Cyrus Avery Plaza dedicated
The story of Budville, Part 2
This is the second part of the history of Budville, N.M., published in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. The second installment focuses on the sensational trial of the man accused of killing Budville trading post owner Bud Rice and Rice's part-time employee. It's a extremely well-written account, and you'll find there aren't a lot of white … Continue reading The story of Budville, Part 2
The story of Budville, Part 1
The Valencia County News-Bulletin in New Mexico published an excellent story about the history of Budville, the old Route 66 trading post between Albuquerque and Grants, N.M. Go read it. The 1967 slaying of owner Bud Rice and a retired schoolteacher who helped him is a tragic tale. But, as the article ably describes, the … Continue reading The story of Budville, Part 1
Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
A bunch of people are on board for moving the Meramec Valley Historical Museum into the shuttered Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., and using the old museum property for a Catholic school. Route 66ers, the mayor of Pacific, the Red Cedar's owner and a slew of state and federal officials are all in favor … Continue reading Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Southern California reports that thefts of scrap metal have become so widespread that thieves are even stealing historic-marker plaques. The Trails Restaurant Plaque sat only feet from Huntington Drive in Duarte, in front of the homes built on the acreage where this once celebrated Route 66 icon stood for … Continue reading Plaques stolen by scrap-metal thieves