Did Mary Colter fabricate her role as a Fred Harvey Company architect?

For decades, historians cited Mary Colter as the key architect and designer for early 20th-century buildings in the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, including iconic structures at Grand Canyon National Park and La Posada in Winslow, Arizona. A book published last month on Amazon Kindle by Fred Shaw with the title "False … Continue reading Did Mary Colter fabricate her role as a Fred Harvey Company architect?

Enhanced Tour added to Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore

The Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma, recently added a multimedia Enhanced Tour as part of its offerings that pay tribute to the famed humorist, actor and writer. The Tulsa World newspaper reported how local history buff Brandi Glasscock took in the tour: Glasscock and her family got to hear the voice of Michael Wallis, … Continue reading Enhanced Tour added to Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore

Groups to consider plan for Red Cedar Inn building

Three service groups are meeting to form a plan for the now-vacant Red Cedar Inn building along Route 66 in Pacific, Missouri. The Washington Missourian reported that representatives from the City Tourism Commission, Meramec Valley History Museum and Genealogy Society will meet to discuss uses for the building. Former mayor Jeff Titter, Tourism Commission President Dennis Oliver … Continue reading Groups to consider plan for Red Cedar Inn building

Ann’s Bakery in Tulsa to close in late July

Ann's Bakery, which has operated on the older alignment of Route 66 in Tulsa since 1940, will close at the end of July. Shannon Harris, granddaughter of the bakery's founders, told the Tulsa World about its impending closure. “We love our customers and the bakery and how everybody supported us, but it is time to … Continue reading Ann’s Bakery in Tulsa to close in late July

Nelson family unveils latest mural in Lebanon

Four generations of the Nelson family on Sunday unveiled the newest Route 66-related mural in Boswell Park in Lebanon, Missouri. The mural, titled "Nelson Family Legacy," was a $75,000 project in which 143 people, businesses and organization donated money to finish it, according to the blog of the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society. Bruce Owen, … Continue reading Nelson family unveils latest mural in Lebanon

Scenes from the Route 66 birthday celebration

A 92nd-birthday party was held Monday in downtown Springfield, Missouri, from the spot in 1926 where area good-roads activists proposed No. 66 for a highway from Chicago to Los Angeles. The event at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Park Central East in Springfield marked the spot at the long-gone Colonial Hotel when a telegram … Continue reading Scenes from the Route 66 birthday celebration

Longtime Illinois state trooper Chester Henry dies

Chester Henry, a longtime Illinois state trooper in the Pontiac area and an Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame member, died at age 86 in Le Roy, Illinois, on Saturday. One of Henry's pages on Facebook had this message Sunday: We would like to inform all of you faithful followers that Chester Donovan Henry passed … Continue reading Longtime Illinois state trooper Chester Henry dies

Recollections of the early days of The Mill in Lincoln

Geoff Ladd in 2007 conducted this interview of Robert and Norma McAfee. Robert and his sister, Pauline, were greeters when The Mill (known then as The Blue Mill) opened July 25, 1929, along Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois. The audio is hissy, so you probably will have to turn up the volume on your smartphone or … Continue reading Recollections of the early days of The Mill in Lincoln

Route 66 birthday party set for Monday in Springfield, Missouri

The city of Springfield, Missouri, will throw a free 92nd birthday party Monday afternoon for Route 66 from the downtown spot where the highway received its number in 1926. The party at 3:30 p.m. Monday at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Park Central East in downtown Springfield will mark the spot when a telegram … Continue reading Route 66 birthday party set for Monday in Springfield, Missouri

Joplin baseball team’s new logo contains subtle Route 66 tribute

One of the proposed new names for Joplin's new professional baseball team was the 66ers. That name didn't win, but Route 66 figures prominently in the team's logo anyway. In an homage to Joplin's baseball past, the independent Southwest League team's nickname will be the Miners. Ballpark Digest explained the significance of the choice, which … Continue reading Joplin baseball team’s new logo contains subtle Route 66 tribute