Debra Whittington, the longtime co-owner of the Pony Soldier Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and author of historical books about Tucumcari, died Monday after a lengthy illness. She was 61. Whittington also co-owned the Dollhouse Bed & Breakfast in Tucumcari, a 1908 two-story Victorian home near downtown Tucumcari she and her husband, Mark, restored and … Continue reading Longtime Tucumcari motel co-owner, author Debra Whittington dies
Category: History
Los Angeles group buys gay-friendly Habana Inn in Oklahoma City
The Habana Inn, the "largest gay resort in the Southwest" that recently marked its 50th anniversary in Oklahoma City, recently was sold to a Los Angeles ownership group. According to a story filed by the Associated Press, Alternatives Resorts bought the 170-room Habana Inn for $2.4 million. More from the AP story: Alternatives Resorts spokesman … Continue reading Los Angeles group buys gay-friendly Habana Inn in Oklahoma City
Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts store in Albuquerque closing this year
With the owner wanting to retire, Skip Maisel's Indian Jewelry and Crafts store will close later this year after 42 years in downtown Albuquerque. Maisel told the Albuquerque Journal he already has sold the store at 510 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) and has marked down his merchandise 50 percent. However, he said he was … Continue reading Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts store in Albuquerque closing this year
Barfield Building in Amarillo added to National Register of Historic Places
The long-closed Barfield Building in downtown Amarillo that will become a Marriott hotel recently was named to the National Register of Historic Places. The listing was effective Jan. 11 but wasn't known until last week's email from the National Park Service that was delayed by the 35-day government shutdown. On the National Register nomination form, … Continue reading Barfield Building in Amarillo added to National Register of Historic Places
Route 66 centennial bill reintroduced in Congress
An Illinois lawmaker reintroduced the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act before the Congress just days after the previous session failed to advance it and a Route 66 Historic Trail bill past the U.S. Senate. U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) reintroduced the centennial bill, called H.R. 66, on Jan. 3 as the new Congress convened. Davis … Continue reading Route 66 centennial bill reintroduced in Congress
Last Camp Joy cabin to be donated to Lebanon Route 66 group
The last surviving cabin at the long-closed Camp Joy tourist camp in Lebanon, Missouri, will be donated to the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society so it can be repaired and restored. The donation by Lee Sing, owner of Sing Rental, initially was announced Saturday during the Route 66 Association of Missouri meeting in Lebanon. Camp … Continue reading Last Camp Joy cabin to be donated to Lebanon Route 66 group
Missouri State uploads “Trucking on Route 66” interviews
Missouri State University Libraries over the years has interviewed a number of Route 66 figures (including yours truly) as part of an oral-history project. It received a Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program cost-share grant to amass a "Trucking on Route 66" oral-history collection. MSU Libraries, in a collaboration with Ozarks Alive, has been uploading interviews … Continue reading Missouri State uploads “Trucking on Route 66” interviews
Book review: “Jensen Point: Stop and Reminisce”
When Wayne Winchester bought Jensen's Point near Pacific, Missouri, as part of a package deal for his WINTEC Pharmaceutical business in 1991, he didn't have to preserve the historic property. But he did, because he fell in love with it. “Once I bought that property, I knew that Jensen’s Point had to be saved for … Continue reading Book review: “Jensen Point: Stop and Reminisce”
Photographer Terrence Moore talks about his life’s work on Route 66
Terrence Moore has made the publicity rounds for his excellent new book, "66 for 66: A Photographer's Journey." If you have an hour to kill, Moore talks about his book and his nearly 50 years of documenting Route 66 in this free-wheeling segment on Big Blend Radio: https://youtu.be/uhS3eEW4bC0 Moore also was interviewed by Arizona Highways … Continue reading Photographer Terrence Moore talks about his life’s work on Route 66
Mother Jones historical marker unveiled at Coalfield rest area in Illinois
Officials recently unveiled a historical marker dedicated to union activist Mother Jones at the Coalfield rest area along Interstate 55 in Illinois, not far from where she is buried. According to the Macoupin County-Carlinville Inquirer-Democrat: The large, 4×4-foot marker was placed in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Transportation and is paired with an indoor … Continue reading Mother Jones historical marker unveiled at Coalfield rest area in Illinois