The City of Albuquerque plans to move a former Valentine diner that serves as a police substation to the troubled and yet-to-open Route 66 Visitor Center by next year for the highway's centennial. The police substation currently sits at Girard Boulevard and Central Avenue (aka Route 66), though it was at Eighth Street and Central … Continue reading City of Albuquerque plans to move former Valentine diner to Route 66 Visitor Center
Category: History
Weir on 66 restaurant in Cuba to close on July 1
Weir on 66, a restaurant housed in a former Phillips 66 cottage-style gas station in Cuba, Missouri, announced it would close permanently on July 1. The restaurant at 102 W. Washington St. (aka Route 66) stated in a Facebook post: Yes it's sad but true. Weir on 66 is going to close the door for good on … Continue reading Weir on 66 restaurant in Cuba to close on July 1
Museum Club in Flagstaff put up for sale for $2.3 million
The landmark Museum Club building in Flagstaff, Arizona, was recently put up for sale for $2.3 million. Da Vinci Realty in Flagstaff is listing the property at 3404 E. Route 66. This is what it had to say about it: Iconic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Currently operating as The … Continue reading Museum Club in Flagstaff put up for sale for $2.3 million
Needles soon will commemorate 50th anniversary of Spike from “Peanuts” comic strip
A couple of entities in the Route 66 town of Needles, California, will commemorate the 50th anniversary in mid-August of the creation of Spike in the long-running "Peanuts" comic strip. A celebration first will occur from 10 a.m. to noon local time on Aug. 12 at the Colorado River Medical Center in Needles, coordinated by … Continue reading Needles soon will commemorate 50th anniversary of Spike from “Peanuts” comic strip
Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff nearly faced demolition 50 years ago
It seems unthinkable now, but the Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, was in such sorry shape that a building inspector recommended tearing it down in 1975. That and other fascinating facts about the Route 66 landmark were contained in a recent article in the Arizona Daily Sun. Brothers Henry and Lloyd Taylor bought the hotel … Continue reading Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff nearly faced demolition 50 years ago
$25,000 grant awarded to support Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit
The Missouri Humanities Council awarded a $25,000 grant to the Route 66 Association of Missouri in support of a project titled “The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit” and an $8,000 grant to support programs associated with the project. “The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit” celebrates the legacy of the Mother Road and its role in … Continue reading $25,000 grant awarded to support Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit
Book review: “Route 66: The First 100 Years”
As Route 66's centennial next year approaches, the first book that takes a retrospective look at the highway and looks ahead at its next century has entered the market. That book is the sumptuously illustrated "Route 66: The First 100 Years" (Amazon affiliate link) by the husband-and-wife team of Jim Ross and Shellee Graham, both … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66: The First 100 Years”
Long-missing World War II soldier laid to rest just off Route 66
On this Memorial Day, I commend this recent story from the Chicago Tribune to your attention. It's about how DNA technology and a lot of diligence identified the remains of a previously unidentified World War II soldier -- Army Pvt. James C. Loyd of Alabama, who died in battle in Italy in 1944. Janice Dale, … Continue reading Long-missing World War II soldier laid to rest just off Route 66
City of Albuquerque acquires historic Unser racing family property
The City of Albuquerque recently purchased the historic Unser auto-racing family's property along Route 66, intending to preserve at least part of it for future generations. KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported that the purchase price was $2.2 million for the four-acre tract. The Unser family had offered the property to the city after the death in … Continue reading City of Albuquerque acquires historic Unser racing family property
Red’s Giant Hamburg sold for $575,000 at auction
Red's Giant Hamburg, a re-creation of the original that once stood along Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, sold a few days ago at auction for $575,000. The identity of the restaurant's new owner remains unknown, though KLOR-TV in Springfield reported it is a local investor. No one knows what he or she intends to do … Continue reading Red’s Giant Hamburg sold for $575,000 at auction