The deceased former owners and a longtime caretaker of the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma, were inducted into the 2018 Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. The inductees were the Hugh and Zelta Davis, who owned the Route 66 landmark for years, and their son, Blaine Davis, a caretaker for the whale. The Oklahoma Route … Continue reading Owners, caretaker of Blue Whale named to Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Category: History
Researcher of Negro Motorist Green Book lands publishing deal
Candacy Taylor, who for years has researched properties listed in a long-defunct annual publication called the Negro Motorist Green Book, announced over the weekend three books about it will be published by Abrams Books. The central book in the deal is titled "Overground Railroad: The Green Book and Roots of Mobility in Black America." It … Continue reading Researcher of Negro Motorist Green Book lands publishing deal
Claremore museum plans new statue of Andy Payne
The Claremore Museum of History in Claremore, Oklahoma, plans to place a life-size statue of local athlete Andy Payne at Lynn Riggs Park, also known as Gazebo Park, a few blocks east of Route 66. The Claremore Daily Progress reported a new exhibit, "The Andy Payne Family Collection," donated by Payne’s daughter, will be shown in the … Continue reading Claremore museum plans new statue of Andy Payne
Renovated Gateway Arch museum in St. Louis reopens to public
The Gateway Arch Museum and Visitor Center in St. Louis reopened to the public Tuesday after a $380 million renovation of the grounds using public and private funding. The 630-foot-tall, stainless steel monument, completed in 1965, remains essentially unchanged. But the grounds surrounding it underwent a makeover in a four-year period -- namely to make the … Continue reading Renovated Gateway Arch museum in St. Louis reopens to public
U.S. House committee advances Route 66 centennial bill
A bill to name Route 66 a National Historic Trail has received a lot of attention in Congress and from the media. But a second Route 66 bill also is quietly advancing through the halls of Washington. Last week, the U.S. House's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced H.R. 66, known as the Route 66 Centennial … Continue reading U.S. House committee advances Route 66 centennial bill
National Trust places Route 66 on its endangered list
The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday included Route 66 among its annual 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list and urged Congress to name it as a national historic trail. It was the second time Route 66 made the National Trust's most-endangered list. A smaller part of the Mother Road made the list in … Continue reading National Trust places Route 66 on its endangered list
Music documentary about Springfield premieres this week
"The Center of Nowhere," a full-length documentary produced by roadie Dave Hoekstra about the rich musical history of Springfield, Missouri, will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fox Theatre in downtown Springfield. Hoekstra, a former writer at the Chicago Sun-Times who's traveled and written about Route 66 extensively, told Ozarks Alive that Springfield's central location, relative … Continue reading Music documentary about Springfield premieres this week
Ariston Cafe likely will have new owners by mid-July
The historic Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, is under contract to have new owners by mid-July after the Route 66 establishment belonged to the same family for more than 90 years. Marty and Kara Steffens, co-owners of the Maverick Steaks & Spirits restaurant in Litchfield, are scheduled to take over the reins of the Ariston by … Continue reading Ariston Cafe likely will have new owners by mid-July
The Tropics sign returns to Lincoln
Workers from Ace Sign Co. on Friday returned The Tropics sign, now restored, to its original home in Lincoln, Illinois. An official relighting ceremony will occur the evening of June 24. A staffer for The Herald-News took photos of workers reinstalling the sign. A slide show of images are in this YouTube video. https://youtu.be/4iC7-6udNa4 The … Continue reading The Tropics sign returns to Lincoln
Longtime owner of Jamil’s restaurant in Tulsa dies
Tyrone Elias, owner of the landmark Jamil's restaurant in Tulsa for about 40 years, died Friday after a short illness. He was 80. Jamil's, which sits off Interstate 44 (aka Oklahoma 66) in Tulsa, boasted other ties to the Mother Road during its history. According to an obituary in the Tulsa World: Elias was born … Continue reading Longtime owner of Jamil’s restaurant in Tulsa dies