When we'd last heard almost three years ago, a local man bought a 1920s Texaco station along old Route 66 in Foyil, Oklahoma, and shortly had it added to the National Register of Historic Places. The station's owner, Kean Isaacs, pledged to restore it to as close as its original look as possible. Last week, … Continue reading An update on the Texaco gas station in Foyil
Category: History
Rebuilt Parkview Inn in Bloomington may reopen by November
The historic Parkview Inn restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois, destroyed by fire two years ago, may be rebuilt and reopened by early November. The Bloomington Pantagraph reported last week: The restaurant was a mainstay along old Route 66 since 1928, but a fire in October 2016 burned the original structure beyond repair. [...] "We're hoping to open by … Continue reading Rebuilt Parkview Inn in Bloomington may reopen by November
Was there a ban of black customers at Route 66 motels in eastern New Mexico?
Roland Penttila, a reader of this website based in Albuquerque, emailed this 1955 newspaper clipping a few days ago: Penttila wrote: While many white families have fond memories of their auto adventures along Route 66 during its heyday, too little is remembered of how difficult it was for African Americans to travel U.S. highways including … Continue reading Was there a ban of black customers at Route 66 motels in eastern New Mexico?
Restoration of Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg accelerates
A volunteer work crew from the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society helped the owner of the long-closed Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg, Missouri, clean his property before it undergoes an exterior restoration. The cafe -- named because of a low-clearance Frisco railroad bridge to the east -- closed about 50 years ago after a new alignment … Continue reading Restoration of Underpass Cafe near Phillipsburg accelerates
Rails to Trails project to involve Sidewalk Highway near Miami
Officials in Miami, Oklahoma, want to use a Rails to Trails project to help rehabilitate the historic stretch of the 9-foot-wide Sidewalk Highway of Route 66 between Miami and Afton, Oklahoma. KSNF-TV reported the four-phase project will involve an eight-mile route across Ottawa County and the Neosho River, near Miami. The project will also incorporate … Continue reading Rails to Trails project to involve Sidewalk Highway near Miami
2018 cost-share grants for Route 66 sites announced
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program on Wednesday announced it awarded seven cost-share grants totaling about $87,000 for preservation or historical research. Since 2001, the program has awarded 146 cost-share grants totaling $2.17 million. The program tentatively has planned to award more grants in 2019 before it expires that year. Here are the 2018 awardees, … Continue reading 2018 cost-share grants for Route 66 sites announced
Vinita wins $25,000 to help enhance its downtown
The city of Vinita, Oklahoma, received a $25,000 AARP Community Challenge Grant to help improve its downtown, including the Route 66 corridor. KSNF-TV reports about 1,600 towns applied for the grant, and only 129 won it. Here's what Vinita will do with the money: The Vinita Route 66 Breezeway Project will make the downtown area more … Continue reading Vinita wins $25,000 to help enhance its downtown
Historic Dew Chilli Parlor site in Springfield is closing
The historic Dew Chilli Parlor site a short distance from Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois, closed Friday because of traffic and parking issues. Two other Dew Chili sites -- including one on old Route 66 -- remain open in the city. The site at 1216 S. Fifth St. had operated there since 1954. Other Dew … Continue reading Historic Dew Chilli Parlor site in Springfield is closing
Rare photos of Cyrus Avery unveiled
The Historical Society of Missouri’s Springfield Research Center recently acquired rare photos of Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, as a boy and a young man. Avery, born in 1871, was known as a booster of Tulsa and Oklahoma in general. But the Pennsylvania native moved to Missouri at age 10 and … Continue reading Rare photos of Cyrus Avery unveiled
Director from Spain films new documentary about Route 66’s living icons
A director from Spain praised for her work in short films and digital media has shot a full-length documentary about the living icons of Route 66 and hopes to see the movie in theaters by 2019. Ana Ramon Rubio directed "Almost Ghosts," which is designed to "remember those who were forgotten when the U.S. Government finished … Continue reading Director from Spain films new documentary about Route 66’s living icons