The new second installment of Russell A. Olsen's "Route 66 Lost and Found" book (160 pages, $32) made me realize how far the renaissance of the Mother Road has come and how very far it still has to go. For those who are unfamiliar with his books, Olsen finds vintage photographs of businesses along Route … Continue reading Route 66 Lost and Found, Vol. 2
Category: History
Historic Route 66 theatre will reopen
The Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, Mo., opened on Route 66 on Oct. 12, 1926 -- one day after Route 66 was given its name. The Gillioz, which is on the St. Louis Street alignment of Route 66, is set to reopen exactly 80 years after its opening night, after more than 16 years and $10 … Continue reading Historic Route 66 theatre will reopen
New “Our Town” video
It's not officially sanctioned by Pixar or Disney. But I think Scott Leitner's new sideshow to go with the James Taylor song on the "Cars" soundtrack, "Our Town," is certainly relevant and is quite moving. You can view it here. A Windows Media player is required, and it's a big file (22 MGs).
A criticism of “Cars”
A critique of the movie "Cars" has just been posted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which describes its mission as to "restore a high place for theory in economics and the social sciences, encourage a revival of critical historical research, and draw attention to neglected traditions in Western philosophy." The argument presented by the … Continue reading A criticism of “Cars”
Railroad helped Route 66 become America’s highway
Here's a fascinating article from the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail about the 200th anniversary of the National Road, aka U.S. 40. And it brings up an angle I haven't heard before: that the National Road withered not because of the interstate, but because of a railroad -- decades before the interstate highway system was a … Continue reading Railroad helped Route 66 become America’s highway
Using the interstate to slow down
On the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, Kevin A. Wilson of Automotive News comes up with a novel argument for the interstates' existence that benefits Route 66, too. I've used this argument myself. I'll let him explain: Many such changes, however, are matters of choice, and how we use the highway system is … Continue reading Using the interstate to slow down
Should CBS News have paid Route 66 tour guides?
Public Eye, which is sort of an ombudsman of CBS News, received a question from a New York Times reporter about the CBS "Evening News" story about Route 66 and the impact of the interstate highway system. CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi paid John and Lenore Weiss, two Illinois Route 66 preservationists who also conduct tours … Continue reading Should CBS News have paid Route 66 tour guides?
Ruminations on roads
Hank Stuever of the Washington Post has some interesting ruminations about the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system. It seems he's trying to praise it and, at the same time, deflate Route 66 a little. But he's mostly unsuccessful at both. Go read it. It's food for thought, at least.
Re-connect with America through Route 66
With the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, CBS News decided to take a look at its impact on society. And it's not been all good, says Columbia University historian Kenneth T. Jackson. Jackson also says the highway that was supposed to bring us closer together actually pushed us farther apart, as suburbs blossomed, … Continue reading Re-connect with America through Route 66
Long live the (Dairy) Queen
Here's an interesting story form the Naperville (Ill.) Sun about the Dairy Queen restaurant chain in 1940 in Joliet. What many people don't know is that the first DQ was a mom-and-pop restaurant born on Route 66, on North Chicago Street. The story has a photo of that first one. It now has more than … Continue reading Long live the (Dairy) Queen