History Museum on the Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri, on Monday opened its latest exhibit, "Memories of the Mother Road: Birthplace of Route 66." The show will run through the end of the year. Katy Rawlins, office manager for the museum, explained the show in an email: The exhibit focuses on the route through Springfield … Continue reading New Route 66 exhibit opens in History Museum on the Square
Category: History
Spindles from old Carthage bridge likely will be sold
The limestone balusters, or spindles, of the now-destroyed old Missouri Highway 96 bridge near Carthage, Missouri, probably will be sold after the city instructed road crews to salvage them. Meanwhile, the new Missouri 96 bridge northeast of town is slated to open this week. That would lessen the confusion of Route 66 travelers using Missouri 96, … Continue reading Spindles from old Carthage bridge likely will be sold
Author traveling Route 66 in 1930 Ford Model A for book project
Noted author and retired professor T. Lindsay Baker is traveling Route 66 in a 1930 Ford Model A as part of research into a book he'll be writing about restaurants and dining along the Mother Road. Tulsa World columnist Ginnie Graham caught up with Baker last week in Tulsa. The article is far-ranging and ought … Continue reading Author traveling Route 66 in 1930 Ford Model A for book project
John Margolies roadside photos now available for download
More than 11,000 photos of roadside America that John Margolies took during a nearly 40-year career now are available for download from the Library of Congress. The archive, which runs from 1972 to 2008, includes nearly 80 photos from Route 66. The entire archive is here; Margolies' Route 66 photos may be found here. You may … Continue reading John Margolies roadside photos now available for download
Replica of Red’s Giant Hamburg soon will break ground
A long-gestating project to re-create the fabled Red's Giant Hamburg restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, will clear a big hurdle when its developers break ground within the next 30 days. David Campbell, best-known for the Buckingham's regional barbecue chain, and partner Greg Iott are leading the quest to re-create Red's. Campbell said in a telephone interview … Continue reading Replica of Red’s Giant Hamburg soon will break ground
Prominent New Mexico Route 66 historian dies
New Mexico historian David Kammer, who documented landmarks and buildings on Route 66 for decades, died Thursday after a five-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Kammer's death was reported at the end of a profile in the Albuquerque Journal, written before he died. He recently received the New Mexico Preservation Division’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his efforts. … Continue reading Prominent New Mexico Route 66 historian dies
Pueblo blocks access to La Bajada Hill
The Cochiti Pueblo has blocked access to La Bajada Hill, an area where a 1920s alignment of Route 66 zigzagged down the mesa south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The pueblo is blocking the historic site to prevent further abuse from visitors, reported the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. At the base of the 600-foot … Continue reading Pueblo blocks access to La Bajada Hill
More 1990s videos from a Route 66 journey in 1959 Cadillac
Anthony Reichardt has uploaded more videos from when he traveled Route 66 during the early and mid-1990s in a 1959 Cadillac. Reichardt's YouTube channel for the videos is here. The clips are notable for historical reasons, as many of the places he visited have vanished or changed drastically. The first video is when Reichardt and a … Continue reading More 1990s videos from a Route 66 journey in 1959 Cadillac
Make sure you read the Never Quite Lost blog
Thanks to a Route 66er on Facebook, I stumbled onto the Blue Miller's Never Quite Lost weblog, which takes deep historical dives into assorted landmarks on Route 66. Never Quite Lost -- subtitled "The Road Goes On Forever" -- launched in November 2015. New posts arrive every few months or so, but they almost always … Continue reading Make sure you read the Never Quite Lost blog
Route 66 fan producing documentary on music scene of Springfield, Missouri
Dave Hoekstra, a big Route 66 fan for much of his 30-year career at the Chicago Sun-Times, is producing a film series about unheralded rich music scenes in the United States, including Springfield, Missouri. Titled "Song of an Unsung America," the film series delves into Springfield's importance as the site of television's "Ozark Jubilee" and … Continue reading Route 66 fan producing documentary on music scene of Springfield, Missouri