Granny Shaffer's Family Restaurant, which serves a popular dish from another historic restaurant in southwest Missouri, recently marked its 50th year in business in Joplin. The restaurant sits at 2728 N. Range Line Road, which is bypass U.S. 66 alignment from 1956 to 1972. According to the Joplin Globe: Pies, one of its top-selling items, … Continue reading Granny Shaffer’s Family Restaurant in Joplin marks its 50th year
Category: History
Ramona Lehman, longtime owner of the Munger Moss Motel, dies at 85
Ramona Lehman, the owner of the historic Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri, for more than a half-century, died Wednesday morning. She was 85. Tributes to Lehman on social media began pouring in shortly after her death was announced: Lehman had been in frail health after the death of her husband Bob in 2019. Early … Continue reading Ramona Lehman, longtime owner of the Munger Moss Motel, dies at 85
Cannonball Jail in Carlinville soon will reopen for tours
The historic and uniquely designed Cannonball Jail in Carlinville, Illinois, will host a "Jail House Rock" event on July 29 before it opens regularly for tours in August. The former Macoupin County Jail will host the "Jail House Rock" event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 29, including photo opportunities to show yourself … Continue reading Cannonball Jail in Carlinville soon will reopen for tours
Angel Delgadillo today gets his own exhibit at the Kingman Visitor Center
Angel Delgadillo, known as the "Guardian Angel of Route 66," today will receive his own exhibit about his impact on the Mother Road at the Kingman Visitor Center in Kingman, Arizona. The opening day for the exhibit is after 1 p.m. local time today. The exhibit is free to the public on the second floor … Continue reading Angel Delgadillo today gets his own exhibit at the Kingman Visitor Center
How the U.S. government almost used nukes to build a new Route 66 in the Mojave Desert
The Sidetrack Adventures channel -- which has produced a lot of good content to interest Route 66 buffs -- recently created a new video that explains how the U.S. government considered the use of nuclear bombs to build a new alignment of Route 66 through California's Mojave Desert. Yes, this proposal sounds stupefyingly dumb even … Continue reading How the U.S. government almost used nukes to build a new Route 66 in the Mojave Desert
A look back at Vice TV’s “Abandoned” episode in 2016 about Route 66
I remember when Vice TV's "Abandoned" episode about Route 66 first aired in 2016, but the full 43-minute program was uploaded to YouTube just a few weeks ago. The gist is two skate punks travel Route 66 from west to east, seeking assorted abandoned places to use their skateboards (natch), talk to the locals, and … Continue reading A look back at Vice TV’s “Abandoned” episode in 2016 about Route 66
Newspaper talks to longtime owner of the doomed Diamond Inn Motel in Villa Ridge
If you have a few minutes, read this long feature in the Washington Missourian about L.B. Eckelkamp Jr., the longtime owner of the Diamond Inn Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri. The Diamond Inn, which turned 50 years old not long ago, probably will be torn down by the time you read this. Ultimately, the motel, … Continue reading Newspaper talks to longtime owner of the doomed Diamond Inn Motel in Villa Ridge
History Museum on the Square to hold an exhibit about gas stations along Route 66
The History Museum on the Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri, soon will launch a three-month exhibit about gas stations along Route 66. "Service with a Smile" will run at the museum from Aug. 9 to Nov. 5. It's the second of five annual exhibits featuring Route 66's history, running up to the highway's centennial in … Continue reading History Museum on the Square to hold an exhibit about gas stations along Route 66
Small building in parking lot remains a vestige of a tourist camp in Springfield, Missouri
Tucked away in a city parking lot in Springfield, Missouri, is a small stone building that serves as the last vestige of a tourist camp that served travelers for years before Route 66 was federally certified. The building once was a bathroom for the long-gone Long Memorial Park, though it's slated to be used as … Continue reading Small building in parking lot remains a vestige of a tourist camp in Springfield, Missouri
Little America Hotel in Flagstaff marks its 50th anniversary
The popular and highly praised Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, recently marked its 50th year in business. As the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff tells it, the hotel is the second such hotel and resort built by the Holding Family in the Little America network that originated in 1952. There now are eight such … Continue reading Little America Hotel in Flagstaff marks its 50th anniversary