The historic Schneithorst's Restaurant & Bar in the St. Louis suburb of Ladue, Missouri, will close permanently the afternoon of Christmas Eve in a final chapter of a long conversion into office and retail space. The current restaurant at 1600 S. Lindbergh Blvd. (aka Route 66) has been there since 1956, but the family had … Continue reading Schneithorst’s Restaurant & Bar in St. Louis region to close Christmas Eve
Category: History
Much chatter about not much with Budville story
A lot of people got excited on social media the other day with a story about the possibility of the long-closed Budville Trading Co. in New Mexico reopening. However, a closer look at the story itself reveals nothing new or noteworthy. It makes one wonder why Albuquerque TV station KRQE did anything at all. Here's … Continue reading Much chatter about not much with Budville story
Tulsa radio station looks at Route 66’s past, future
KRMG, a prominent radio station in Tulsa, recently produced a special about that city's extensive link to Route 66 and its role in the historic highway's future. The three-part segment, which totals less than eight minutes, includes interviews with Michael Wallis, author of the seminal "Route 66: The Mother Road"; Ken Busby of the Route … Continue reading Tulsa radio station looks at Route 66’s past, future
End of an era: Final Dust Bowl Festival held at Weedpatch Camp
Weedpatch Camp, immortalized by John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath," recently held its 30th and last Dust Bowl Festival on the outskirts of Bakersfield, California. Simply put, the festival is being shut down because the survivors of that calamity have gotten too old to run it. A local television station did a preview about … Continue reading End of an era: Final Dust Bowl Festival held at Weedpatch Camp
Book review: “Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America”
This book isn't your typical nostalgic road trip down Route 66. Instead, Jim Hinckley's "Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America" (paperback, 256 pages, Rio Nuevo Publishers, photographs) exists as a travelogue of the horrific wrecks, disasters, gangsters, race riots and mad-dog killers along even bucolic towns on Route 66. Subtitled "Tales from … Continue reading Book review: “Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America”
Kaiser-Frazer neon sign near Mitchell disappears
A rare Kaiser-Frazer neon sign that stood for decades along Route 66 in Mitchell, Illinois, recently disappeared, and its whereabouts remain unknown. The sign was unique in that it was repainted and neon tubing installed to advertise the Town & Country Motel. But the paint job eventually peeled off, revealing the porcelain Kaiser-Frazer sign underneath. … Continue reading Kaiser-Frazer neon sign near Mitchell disappears
PBS station interviews Delbert Trew, a figure in Route 66’s renaissance
Do yourself a favor and watch this delightful 13-minute interview with Texas Panhandle rancher Delbert Trew and his wife by a local PBS station. The talk reveals a lot of Trew's homespun sense of humor. Trew probably is best-known for shepherding the founding of the Devil's Rope and Route 66 Museum in McLean, Texas, which … Continue reading PBS station interviews Delbert Trew, a figure in Route 66’s renaissance
Researcher finds a photo of the precursor of John’s Modern Cabins
Joe Sonderman, a researcher of Route 66 in Missouri and other states, found a rare image of the roadside business that later became John's Modern Cabins near Newburg, Missouri. The image is above. Sonderman wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday: This is the oldest photo I have ever seen of the spot that became … Continue reading Researcher finds a photo of the precursor of John’s Modern Cabins
End of an era: Yahoo! will scale back Route 66 group
Yahoo! recently announced it will stop allowing uploads of content on all its Yahoo Groups -- including the once-seminal and 20-year-old Route 66 group -- on Oct. 28 and remove all uploaded content in mid-December. One of the group's longtime members and moderators, Mike Ward, passed along the news Monday and posted a Yahoo link … Continue reading End of an era: Yahoo! will scale back Route 66 group
Whitcomb Springs near Tijeras named to National Register of Historic Places
A natural spring north of Route 66 in Tijeras, New Mexico, was just designated to the National Register of Historic Places. Whitcomb Springs, also known as Carlito Springs, was added to the register effective Oct. 7, according to a weekly email Friday from the National Park Service. The springs sit at 82 Carlito Springs Road … Continue reading Whitcomb Springs near Tijeras named to National Register of Historic Places