A 110-year-old passenger rail car is being moved to Bloomington, Illinois, so it can be converted into a diner on Route 66. The decaying Illinois Terminal rail car once sat for more than 30 years at a former depot in Harristown, Illinois, west of Decatur. David Parker of Bloomington was forced to cut the rail … Continue reading Century-old passenger rail car will be converted into a diner on Route 66
Category: History
Owner of Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que dies of COVID-19 complications
Dennis Meiser, the longtime owner of the landmark Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que restaurant along Route 66 in Cuba, Missouri, died Friday after being hospitalized for several weeks due to coronavirus complications. He was 65. Mizell Funeral Home in Cuba is handling the arrangements. The visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral … Continue reading Owner of Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que dies of COVID-19 complications
Big Texan in Amarillo marks its 10,000th 72-ounce steak challenge
The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo earlier this month celebrated its 10,000th contestant attempting to consume its famous 72-ounce steak dinner. The 10,000th dinner was eaten on Sept. 1 by John Lamons, who accomplished the feat just seconds short of the 60-minute deadline to get it for free. The challenge requires one to eat … Continue reading Big Texan in Amarillo marks its 10,000th 72-ounce steak challenge
9/11 memorial garden in Winslow features beams from the fallen Twin Towers
On the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks on the United States, it's good to remember a 9/11 memorial garden in Winslow, Arizona, that includes two large beams from the destroyed Twin Towers of New York City. According to a feature by KPNX-TV in Phoenix, retired Winslow Councilwoman Dee Rodriguez was tasked … Continue reading 9/11 memorial garden in Winslow features beams from the fallen Twin Towers
U-Drop Inn’s restaurant officially reopens for the first time in decades
The restaurant inside the historic U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas, officially opened for business Wednesday after about a one-week trial run. It's the first time a restaurant has operated in the Route 66 landmark in more than 25 years. The U-Drop Inn Cafe will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday … Continue reading U-Drop Inn’s restaurant officially reopens for the first time in decades
More details emerge about this weekend’s Red Oak II Festival
Saturday's long-planned festival at Red Oak II complex near Carthage, Missouri, not only will pay tribute to its recently deceased creator, Lowell Davis, and also to those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Davis' widow, Rose, told the Joplin Globe a tribute or memorial didn't happen immediately after his … Continue reading More details emerge about this weekend’s Red Oak II Festival
Neon sign just outside Lexington marks its 75th anniversary
Many times, I've driven by the neon "Lexington" sign that stands along Route 66 in Lexington, Illinois, and thought: "I wonder how long that sign has been there?" That question was answered this week during the "How Time Flies" featurette in The Pantagraph in nearby Bloomington: Aug. 31, 1946: Lexington has a new neon sign along … Continue reading Neon sign just outside Lexington marks its 75th anniversary
Route 66 neon sign park proposed at Oklahoma History Center in OKC
The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission, led by state tourism chief and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, is considering building a Route 66 neon park at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Those details emerged in a Facebook post by the Oklahoma-based Billboard Museum, which hopes to eventually build its own facility in the OKC … Continue reading Route 66 neon sign park proposed at Oklahoma History Center in OKC
Chelsea Historical Society wants to turn historic bank building into a museum
The Chelsea Area Historical Society wants to restore and convert the historic Bank of Chelsea building in downtown Chelsea, Oklahoma, into a museum. The society held a community meeting at the Chelsea Civic Center on Thursday to discuss funding options and the building's importance. According to a historical society official contacted through Facebook Messenger, a … Continue reading Chelsea Historical Society wants to turn historic bank building into a museum
New Roger Miller mural goes up in Erick
An artist recently completed a large mural paying tribute to late musician Roger Miller on a building along Route 66 in Erick, Oklahoma, that used to house his museum. Brian Lewis of Greensboro, North Carolina, painted the mural on the building on the southeast corner of the intersection of Roger Miller Boulevard (aka Route 66) … Continue reading New Roger Miller mural goes up in Erick