The nonprofit magazine In These Times recently published an in-depth article about uranium miners in the Route 66 town of Grants, New Mexico. The mines operated in Grants and Church Rock, New Mexico, from the 1950s to the 1980s. Many miners contracted cancer and other diseases from radiation exposure. The federal government under the Radiation … Continue reading The curse of Grants uranium mines
Category: Museums
The home of the Bel-Aire Motel Sputnik
I missed this when it happened last summer, but Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, Illinois, restored the Sputnik sign that stood atop the Bel-Aire Motel and displays it in its museum. The Bel-Aire, a longtime Route 66 motel, was torn down last year after hundreds of code violations. According to a story on the Illinois Route 66 … Continue reading The home of the Bel-Aire Motel Sputnik
Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum set to open by March
The Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, will have a soft opening in late March and an official opening June 1, according to Richard Holmes, president of the nonprofit museum. The museum at 13 Sahoma Lake Road, just off Route 66 on Sapulpa's west side, will feature a 66-foot-tall, old-style gasoline pump that … Continue reading Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum set to open by March
$500,000 grant accepted for Arizona State Railroad Museum
The city of Williams, Arizona, accepted a $500,000 state grant to help acquire artifacts for the Arizona State Railroad Museum, reported the Williams News. The grant, which will be available by fiscal year 2018, came with help from the Northern Arizona Council of Governments. It requires a $5,000 administrative fee and a 5.7 percent match of any money … Continue reading $500,000 grant accepted for Arizona State Railroad Museum
Southwest Museum’s possible future laid out in report
A National Trust for Historic Preservation steering committee soon may make recommendations for the future of the long-troubled Southwest Museum in Los Angeles. Those include adding a restaurant to the grounds and expanding its focus beyond displaying Native American artifacts. An LA Curbed report summarized some of the proposals. The National Trust interviewed dozens of stakeholders for their ideas for the Southwest … Continue reading Southwest Museum’s possible future laid out in report
A closer look at the Lebanon Route 66 museum
Reporter David Oliver of KOLR-TV takes a detailed look at the Route 66 Museum and Research Center tucked into Lebanon-Laclede County Library in Lebanon, Missouri. Curator Mark Spangler said he gets new items for the museum almost daily. He explained what the museum is trying to do: "We try to represent the large roadside accommodations … Continue reading A closer look at the Lebanon Route 66 museum
Bloomington ponies up big dough for Route 66 museum
The McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington, Illinois, this week received $250,000 donation spread over five years for a capital campaign for the museum, which includes a new and prominent Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 visitors center, reported WJBC radio. “It’ll go to some very significant upgrades using digital technology, as well … Continue reading Bloomington ponies up big dough for Route 66 museum
Online auction for Shea’s Museum items begins today
More than 200 items from the closed Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, are going up for auction online today. If you can't bid right away, no worries -- the auction continues through Nov. 22. The link to the auction site by Darrell L. Adcock Auction Service is here. I surfed over the the … Continue reading Online auction for Shea’s Museum items begins today
More Route 66 miniatures from Willem Bor
Willem Bor of the Netherlands, who has gained renown for his exacting miniatures of Route 66 landmarks, recently has completed or is about to finish three more small-scale sites on the Mother Road. Bor recently finished another Route 66 trip, which you can read here. I have to admit, the reproductions are so good, I … Continue reading More Route 66 miniatures from Willem Bor
A look inside Bob Waldmire’s bus
Roamin' Rich Dinkela posted this video about the late Bob Waldmire's school bus that Waldmire converted into living quarters years ago. After Waldmire's death from cancer in 2009, the bus was parked at the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac to be permanently displayed. Museum curator John Wille gives the lowdown … Continue reading A look inside Bob Waldmire’s bus