The Illinois State Museum in Springfield put out a call this week for historic items relating to Route 66 in the Land of Lincoln so it can be ready for the highway's centennial in 2026. It already has landed a bunch of memorabilia from late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. The museum launched the collecting … Continue reading Illinois State Museum seeking Route 66 items to bolster its collection
Category: History
Doc’s Soda Fountain in Girard lands new owners
The 130-year-old Doc's Soda Fountain site in downtown Girard, Illinois, has landed new owners, and one of them has ties to the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. Steve and Casey Claypool of nearby Chatham, Illinois, closed on the purchase Friday. They plan to reopen it sometime in April after some interior renovations. Casey also is … Continue reading Doc’s Soda Fountain in Girard lands new owners
Renovations begin at Hotel Brunswick in Kingman
A major renovation project began a few days ago at the century-old Hotel Brunswick along Route 66 in downtown Kingman, Arizona, according to several social media posts. The Bee, a media outlet in the region, posted a photo on Facebook of the renovations being done on the back of the property and stated: The project … Continue reading Renovations begin at Hotel Brunswick in Kingman
More about the historic Whirl-A-Whip restaurant in Girard
The Virden (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce this month posted on Facebook a Spotlight Business of the Month with the Whirl-A-Whip restaurant in nearby Girard, Illinois. Snippets of information about the eatery, which is off the 1926-1932 alignment of Route 66 before the highway was moved to the east: The restaurant current is owned by Brent … Continue reading More about the historic Whirl-A-Whip restaurant in Girard
Real-life gang fight in San Bernardino inspired “West Side Story”
The play and film "West Side Story" is well known as the story of a fictional turf war between white and Puerto Rican street gangs in Manhattan. However, "West Side Story" was inspired by a real-life gang fight in 1955 in San Bernardino, California, about a half-mile north of Route 66. The historic Mitla Cafe … Continue reading Real-life gang fight in San Bernardino inspired “West Side Story”
The man behind the Charley’s Automobile Service building in Grants
Blue Miller of the well-researched Never Quite Lost blog recently wrote about Charley Diaz, longtime operator of the Charley's Automotive Service, aka Charley's Radiator Shop, in Grants, New Mexico. The long-closed complex of five buildings included a restaurant, Star Cafe, at 1308-1310 W. Santa Fe Ave. (aka Route 66). It was designated to the National … Continue reading The man behind the Charley’s Automobile Service building in Grants
Carl’s Coney Island in Tulsa recently marked its 50th year
Carl's Coney Island, a mainstay in the historic Crystal City Shopping Center along Route 66 in Tulsa, in October marked its 50th year and welcomed new owners. According to a Facebook post a few weeks ago, Carl's celebrated its half-century on Oct. 21. It served 50-cent Coney dogs that day. It also announced owners Mike … Continue reading Carl’s Coney Island in Tulsa recently marked its 50th year
Information unearthed on the obscure Route 66 ghost town of Benonine, Texas
Musician and scholar Nolan Stolz, who has been doing a lot of good fieldwork on Route 66 history lately, recently posted a video about the nearly unknown Route 66 ghost town of Benonine, Texas. Benonine was just a mile or so west of the border town of Texola, Oklahoma, and appears to have been defunct … Continue reading Information unearthed on the obscure Route 66 ghost town of Benonine, Texas
A closer look at the long-closed Ranchotel in Amarillo
In the last few months, a fellow by the name of Charlie has posted a series of articles about Route 66 and its landmarks in Amarillo for the Mix 94.1 radio station. One of the latest is a detailed article about the long-shuttered Ranchotel along the Sixth Street alignment, just west of downtown. Charlie writes … Continue reading A closer look at the long-closed Ranchotel in Amarillo
La Fonda in Santa Fe will mark its centennial in January
The landmark La Fonda on the Plaza hotel in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, will mark its centennial in January, though records indicate a lodging establishment was there several centuries before that. La Fonda will host a "Party of the Century" on Jan. 22 "as we honor our storied past and look to the future … Continue reading La Fonda in Santa Fe will mark its centennial in January