I'd long known the Route 66 town of Carlinville, Illinois, had a high concentration of Sears homes. But I'd never known exactly how many and why. KSDK-TV in St. Louis recently posted this story about Sears homes and Carlinville. And here's the gist of the story that answered my questions: The Carlinville neighborhood is known as … Continue reading Why Carlinville has so many Sears homes
Category: History
DVD review: “The California Promise: Historic Route 66”
Route 66 in the Mojave Desert may look barren, but its past brims with history and stories. That's the takeaway from Unoccupied Route 66's latest film, "The California Promise: Historic Route 66." The 37-minute documentary, again directed by KC Keefer, explores a 100-mile stretch of ghost towns that dotted Route 66 in Southern California's harsh desert. … Continue reading DVD review: “The California Promise: Historic Route 66”
Streetcar Diner also was target of Riviera Roadhouse fire
When a suspicious fire in 2010 burned down the historic Riviera Roadhouse restaurant in Gardner, Illinois, the arsonist also unsuccessfully targeted the nearby Streetcar Diner that night. That little-known fact was revealed in more than 200 pages of documents and dozens of photographs obtained through an open-records request for Illinois Fire Marshal's Office reports from the … Continue reading Streetcar Diner also was target of Riviera Roadhouse fire
Shea’s Route 66 Museum returning as Route 66-themed auto-repair shop
Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, which closed and its contents auctioned after the death of its longtime owner in 2013, will reopen this summer as a Route 66-themed auto-repair business. Local classic-car aficionados Randy Pickett and Jake Niewold plan to convert the vacant building to an auto-repair and maintenance shop with a Route 66 … Continue reading Shea’s Route 66 Museum returning as Route 66-themed auto-repair shop
City of Springfield to promote car cruising on Kearney Street
In a historic reversal, the city council of Springfield, Missouri, earlier this week voted unanimously to promote car cruising along Kearney Street -- a prominent Route 66 alignment -- on certain Friday nights this summer. The city now will encourage motorists to cruise on Kearney Street from 6 to 10 p.m. the second Friday of each … Continue reading City of Springfield to promote car cruising on Kearney Street
Contents of Granny’s Closet restaurant in Flagstaff to be auctioned
Almost all the memorabilia and contents inside the closed Granny's Closet restaurant and bar in Flagstaff, Arizona, will be auctioned April 28. Flagstaff Auctions will begin the auction at 10 a.m. that day for the Route 66 landmark at 218 S. Milton Road, reported the Arizona Daily Sun. However, the old tractor and lumberjack statue near the … Continue reading Contents of Granny’s Closet restaurant in Flagstaff to be auctioned
Route 66 bills in Congress need co-sponsors
The Route 66: The Road Ahead Initiative is seeking to have Route 66 advocates lobby their local U.S. representative and senator to co-sponsor two bills working their way through Congress. The bills are HR 801, which would name Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, and HR 66, which would set up a Route 66 … Continue reading Route 66 bills in Congress need co-sponsors
Fort Reno loses state funding, cuts hours deeply
Oklahoma state government's dire financial situation apparently forced it to halt funding for Fort Reno near El Reno, Oklahoma, just off old Route 66. According to a report by KOCO in Oklahoma City, the historic fort -- which dates to the 1870s -- that once was open daily but Christmas and Thanksgiving now is greeting tourists only three … Continue reading Fort Reno loses state funding, cuts hours deeply
Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns
A few days ago, a friend of mine commented on Facebook she and her children took a tour of Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, including the big light-show-and-music finale in the caverns' Theatre Room. She mentioned Celine Dion sang "God Bless America" during the finale. Not Kate Smith's version? It had been a mainstay of … Continue reading Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns
Route 66 listed among Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
Landmarks Illinois on Thursday listed Route 66 as one of the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois in the group's annual list and advocated a National Historic Trail designation for the highway. The group stated: The purpose of the list is to focus attention on sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, or … Continue reading Route 66 listed among Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois