(Editor's note: This is my Catch Up from the Memorial Day Holiday Edition.) Actor and director Dennis Hopper died over the weekend after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74. A memorial service and burial was held Wednesday at a church in his beloved Taos, N.M., where he lived for years. Although a … Continue reading Notes from the road
Category: Museums
County to dedicate new Route 66 museum
Jasper County will dedicate its new Route 66 museum inside the Jasper County Courthouse lobby in Carthage, Mo., at 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Carthage Press: The Route 66 display sits in the south lobby of the courthouse opposite the historic elevator. It’s modeled on the old Boots’ Drive In restaurant and features artifacts … Continue reading County to dedicate new Route 66 museum
Notes from the road
Kim Benoit of Montreal has created a miniature version of the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, seen in the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated movie "Cars." Here are the photos that Benoit sent: Well done, I'd say. --- The owners of Seaba Station on Route 66 near Warwick, Okla., seek to reopen the historic auto … Continue reading Notes from the road
Notes from the road
Richard Talley of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., says a lot has been happening in his town lately. Here's what he said by e-mail (with some minor editing): Here's a shot of the new AutoPros auto care center across the street from us on Route 66 (used to be Tucumcari Tire Co., closed for years). … Continue reading Notes from the road
Referendum for Joplin museum expansion fails
A one-sixth sales-tax referendum that would have financed the conversion of Memorial Hall into expanded digs for the Joplin Museum Complex failed by a 4-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results tabulated Tuesday night by the Joplin Globe. According to the Globe shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, the referendum gained just 928 "yes" votes against 3,882 "no" votes. … Continue reading Referendum for Joplin museum expansion fails
Fire threatens Victorville museum
A fire that gutted the historic Halstead Building in downtown Victorville, Calif., threatened the nearby California Route 66 Museum on Friday morning, reported the Daily Press. Scores of firefighters were able to beat back the blaze from damaging the museum. But the Halstead Building was a total loss. The Halstead Building was home to the … Continue reading Fire threatens Victorville museum
Museum waits and waits and waits
The Illinois State Police Museum, located on Route 66 on the northeast side of Springfield, Ill., was initially awarded a $100,000 state grant in 2002 for expansion. Eight years and three governors (of two political parties) later, the museum is still waiting for that grant, according to the State Journal-Register. And while the $100,000 grant … Continue reading Museum waits and waits and waits
Notes from the road
The neon sign of the historic Tower Theater in Oklahoma City will be relighted during a ceremony Friday evening. The theater, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, will see its restored neon blazing away again at 6:30 p.m. that day after decades in the dark. Here's more about the theater, according to records … Continue reading Notes from the road
Renovation reveals a ghost
Renovations on an old building in downtown Pontiac, Ill., for the soon-to-open International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum revealed a long-forgotten wall sign, or "ghost sign," as they're frequently called. A news release from Pontiac Tourism tells the story: According to Milt Hanson, the city’s Building Maintenance Supervisor, as his crew were preparing to … Continue reading Renovation reveals a ghost
A tasty development
The original railroad Harvey House in Barstow, Calif., which is the home of Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum, will also play host to a farmers market starting this weekend, reported the Desert Dispatch. Barstow has been without a farmers’ market for some time, and the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce aims to bring farmers … Continue reading A tasty development