Just south of Towanda, Ill., just off of old Route 66 is a stately home called Towanda Meadows. Because of its proximity to a set of railroad tracks, it reputedly was a haven for escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. It's a fascinating story. Too bad it's not true. Towanda Meadows is indeed … Continue reading Home’s Underground Railroad lore doesn’t match reality
Category: History
A preview of Michael Wallis’ Lincoln Highway book
Road warrior and author Brian Butko dropped me a note Friday, telling me that he has received a cover image of Michael Wallis' upcoming book, "The Lincoln Highway: From Times Square to the Golden Gate." The cover is shown below: There's no set release date for the book, except it'll be out this summer. It's … Continue reading A preview of Michael Wallis’ Lincoln Highway book
Sky City Pueblo of Acoma named a National Trust Historic site
Sky City Pueblo of Acoma west of Albuquerque, which is the oldest continually inhabited community in North America, has been named the 28th National Trust Historic Site, according to a news release. Overlooking a vast desert-and-mountain sweep of northern New Mexico and dating back to 1150 A.D., Acoma Sky City is a vibrant community characterized … Continue reading Sky City Pueblo of Acoma named a National Trust Historic site
Three Route 66 additions to the National Register of Historic Places
Three pieces of Route 66 were recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. One is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which links Madison, Ill., to north St. Louis over the Mississippi River. It was designated on Dec. 1. This story in the Suburban Journals of St. Louis provides a nice overview of … Continue reading Three Route 66 additions to the National Register of Historic Places
A guidebook to a fault
David Lynch (not that David Lynch) was fascinated by the notorious San Andreas Fault in California and sought to explore it. To his astonishment, he found that no complete guidebook to the faultline existed. Lynch explored the fault, a source of earthquake anxiety in the California and inspiration to scores of bad disaster movies, and … Continue reading A guidebook to a fault
A brief history of Camp Cajon
Freelance writer Mark Landis writes a fascinating historical piece in the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sun about William H. Bristol, who was a key member of the community and a major promoter of the area in the late 1800s and much of the first half of the 20th century. His contribution to Route 66 is … Continue reading A brief history of Camp Cajon
Sun-Times picks up Launching Pad story
Dave Hoekstra, a staff writer for the Chicago Sun-Times who's written about Route 66 over the years, has a story about the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Ill., being up for sale. Hoekstra's story has nifty tidbits of history about the restaurant and talked to the owners, who wish to retire and travel the Mother … Continue reading Sun-Times picks up Launching Pad story
“Fantastic Tulsa Films” airs tonight
I don't know whether there's Route 66 content, but "Fantastic Tulsa Films" -- a compilation of home and professional movies of Tulsa from years ago -- is airing several times in Oklahoma in the coming weeks, including at 7 p.m. today on OETA, the state's public television network. At the least, it will be of … Continue reading “Fantastic Tulsa Films” airs tonight
Historic St. Louis restaurant closes, flees to suburb
Romine's, a famed fried-chicken restaurant on the Riverview Drive alignment of Route 66 of St. Louis since 1931, is closing because of crime and declining sales, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Security was hired to patrol the parking lot and cameras were installed on the outside of the building, but that was not enough to … Continue reading Historic St. Louis restaurant closes, flees to suburb
Joplin museum director honored by governor
Brad Belk, executive director of the Joplin (Mo.) Museum Complex, was given the 2006 Governor's Humanities Community Heritage Award. According to a news release: This award recognizes a special contribution to a community’s understanding of its heritage. Here's a rundown of Belk's accomplishments. In addition to helping a prominent Route 66 town, he's also served … Continue reading Joplin museum director honored by governor