The historic Big Chief Dakota Grill is located at 17352 Old Manchester Road in Wildwood, Mo., which is on a 1926-1932 alignment of Route 66 in the St. Louis region. The restaurant/tavern closed about three years ago, but will reopen as a B. Donovan's Steakhouse Grill next month, according to West Newsmagazine. The article also … Continue reading Former Big Chief Dakota Grill to reopen
Category: History
New Joplin business opens in historic building
Route 66 TV Online reports that a new business, Columbia Traders, has opened in the 114-year-old Columbia Building at 420 S. Main St. in downtown Joplin, Mo. The Deli and grocery serves local residents and Route 66 visitors breakfast and lunch from 6:30 am to 7 pm weekdays, 9 to 5 on Sat. and is … Continue reading New Joplin business opens in historic building
Anniversary tour
On the 80th anniversary of Route 66 on Saturday, the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley toured by bus the last few miles of the Mother Road in the Los Angeles region. It was led by local Route 66 expert Scott Piotrowski. Here's the story, reported by the La Canada Valley Sun in La Canada … Continue reading Anniversary tour
Happy birthday, Route 66
You're 80 years old today. You've taken a few hits, but you're looking pretty spry these days. Here's a rundown. UPDATE: American Heritage also has just posted a pretty good rundown.
Route 66 on the comeback trail?
To read an otherwise-good article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, you'd think Route 66 had been languishing for decades until the "Cars" movie came out this summer. And it's true the Mother Road got quite a boost when Pixar's film rolled into theaters, says author Michael Wallis. "It's been [a] huge shot in the arm for … Continue reading Route 66 on the comeback trail?
Spraker Service Station endangered
The historic Spraker Service Station, located at 240 S. Wilson St., aka Route 66, in Vinita, Okla., may be demolished by the car dealership that owns it. The Spraker Service Station (pictured above) is a cottage-style Conoco station built in 1929. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It sits … Continue reading Spraker Service Station endangered
No ordinary man
I stumbled across this obituary for Glen Leonhardt in the San Bernardino County Sun. He held the somewhat ordinary job of a mechanic, but his deeds and experiences made his life extraordinary. His ties to Route 66 were multiple: He helped build that road in Vega, Texas; he married a woman from the Route 66 … Continue reading No ordinary man
Caring for the poor
There is a cemetery just off Route 66 in Livingston County, Ill., that was devoted exclusively for the area's poor-farm residents. I didn't know about it, nor did many other people for a long time, because the Poor Farm Cemetery had been neglected for years. That has changed. For the past two years, volunteers have … Continue reading Caring for the poor
Route 66 State Park to host open house
The Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo., is holding an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the visitors' center. The park wants public comments and suggestions on how the grounds are run. Route 66 author Shellee Graham will make a presentation about the defunct Coral Court Motel at 1 p.m. and … Continue reading Route 66 State Park to host open house
Hard miles
Hank Billings of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader usually delves into little-known local history with his columns, and Monday's was no exception. Robert Goodman of Carthage sent Billings a diary that his late grandfather, J.W. Goodman, kept during a 1,019-mile journey from Cleveland to Gilbert, Ark., in 1921. A good portion of the trek was on … Continue reading Hard miles