Cherokee Nation and city officials on Tuesday dedicated a mural commemorating artisan Anna Belle Sixkiller Mitchell, known as a Cherokee National Treasure, in downtown Vinita, Oklahoma, along Route 66. Mitchell, who lived in Vinita, was designated as a Cherokee National Treasure in 1988 for reviving traditional pottery methods and sharing her skill with others, according to a news … Continue reading Mural of Cherokee Nation artisan dedicated in Vinita
Category: History
Buried alive with poisonous snakes on Route 66
Sue Blesi, a historian, dug up the bizarre story of a man who was buried alive for a week in a pit with poisonous snakes and an alligator to draw visitors to the Silver Star Court motel and restaurant on Route 66 near St. Clair, Missouri. Blesi, who recounted the tale in the Washington Missourian … Continue reading Buried alive with poisonous snakes on Route 66
Virden History Mural deemed irreparable, will be repainted instead
Residents of Virden, Illinois, had hoped last year to restore the deteriorating Virden History Mural along Route 66. However, the mural was deemed unsalvageable, and it will be repainted from scratch with a whole new design. Here is a preliminary artist's rendering of the soon-to-come mural: The husband-and-wife team of Bernie Gietl and D.L. Whitlock-Gietl of … Continue reading Virden History Mural deemed irreparable, will be repainted instead
Midewin removing one history in favor of another
Officials of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Wilmington, Illinois, are gradually removing storage bunkers that once were a part of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in favor of restoring the original prairie. The fascinating article in The Herald-News illustrates how preservation or restoration can come in direct conflict with another era of history in the … Continue reading Midewin removing one history in favor of another
Albuquerque wants to create historic Route 66 inventory
The city of Albuquerque is considering a resolution to create an inventory of all buildings along Route 66 that are 50 years old and older to document and even preserve them. KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports: The city said the building inventory would have a snapshot of the building, information about it, building materials used, as … Continue reading Albuquerque wants to create historic Route 66 inventory
Route 66 cookbook author Marian Clark in hospice care
UPDATE2: Marian Clark died Thursday morning. An obituary will be posted later when the arrangements information is available. The original post from Wednesday: Marian Clark, an Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame member who found and compiled recipes from many restaurants along the Mother Road into several books, is dying of cancer and has been … Continue reading Route 66 cookbook author Marian Clark in hospice care
C-SPAN to feature Springfield, Missouri, in January
Residents of Springfield, Missouri, last week welcomed a film crew from C-SPAN that will feature the city during the cable network's C-SPAN Cities Tour of several medium-sized cities. Among the segments the nonprofit cable network featured were about Wild West figure Wild Bill Hickok, the Trail of Tears, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield of the Civil … Continue reading C-SPAN to feature Springfield, Missouri, in January
A look ahead on Route 66 on its 91st birthday
Historic U.S. Highway 66, better known to the rest of the world as Route 66, marked its 91st birthday today. Some debate rages on whether Nov. 11 can be called the Mother Road's birthday. A few sources give it as April 30, which was when road officials in Springfield, Missouri, in 1926 assigned the number … Continue reading A look ahead on Route 66 on its 91st birthday
Underpass Cafe exterior near Phillipsburg to be restored
The exterior of the Underpass Cafe building east of Phillipsburg, Missouri, that has been closed for about 60 years will be restored by the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society. According to a post this week by Gary Sosniecki on the society's webpage: Gary McMillan, whose family has owned the property since 1969, has given permission … Continue reading Underpass Cafe exterior near Phillipsburg to be restored
Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman finishes renovations
The Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman, Arizona, late last month finished $250,000 in remodeling officials believe will increase the facility's revenue. The Kingman Daily Miner reported the city funded the renovations, along with contributions from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. The same contractor, T.R. Orr, performed initial renovations on the facility 20 years ago. … Continue reading Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman finishes renovations