The Powerhouse in Kingman, Ariz., once called the Desert Power & Water Co., will be celebrating its centennial next month, reported the Kingman Daily Miner. Here's a brief history: One hundred years ago, the Powerhouse (Desert Power & Water Company) first lit up the mines in Goldroad, Oatman and Chloride. By October, most businesses downtown … Continue reading Kingman Powerhouse to mark its centennial
Category: Museums
New videos from the Mother Road
DiscoverOklahoma, which is part of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism, today posted two videos about Route 66. One is about Afton Station in Afton; the other is about the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
Route 66 display being installed in Carthage
A Route 66 historical display that mimics the original Boots Drive-In restaurant in Carthage, Mo., is being installed now at the iconic Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage, reports the Joplin Globe. At 18 feet wide and 13 feet tall, the display is a representation of the front of the former drive-in that will hold artifacts … Continue reading Route 66 display being installed in Carthage
Attendance rises at Will Rogers sites
Now here's something I didn't expect. Although the public memory of Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers has been fading for decades, attendance at his birthplace ranch near Oologah and at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in the Route 66 town of Claremore has been rising in the past year, reported The Oklahoman. Officials think the increase … Continue reading Attendance rises at Will Rogers sites
It’s My-am-uh
Alexander Basek of the New York Post went to the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla., where he checked out the Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum, ate at Waylan's Ku-Ku restaurant, and learned how to pronounce the town's name (hint: it doesn't sounds like the big city in southern Florida). The whole thing is … Continue reading It’s My-am-uh
A brief history
Here's a video produced by the Arizona Office of Tourism. It uses the Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman as a jumping-off point about the history of Route 66.
New museum opening in St. James
If you're in the area of St. James, Mo., tomorrow, it might be advisable to pull off that interstate and check out the new Vacuum Cleaner Museum and Factory Outlet holding its grand opening at 1:30 p.m. that day. According to the Hit the Road blog of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The museum’s collection includes … Continue reading New museum opening in St. James
Joliet museum fundraiser offers Harley as prize
The Joliet Area Historical Museum / Route 66 Experience in Joliet, Ill., is selling raffle tickets as part of its annual fundraiser. The top prize winner will receive either a 2010 Harley Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle or $10,000 in cash. Tickets are can be purchased online here or in the Museum Gift Shop at 204 … Continue reading Joliet museum fundraiser offers Harley as prize
Open house set for Baxter Springs museum
The Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum in Baxter Springs, Kan., recently completed a $500,000 expansion, and will be hosting a daylong open house Saturday, reports the Joplin (Mo.) Globe. The open house starts at 9:30 a.m., with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. About 7,600 square feet have been added to the museum, putting … Continue reading Open house set for Baxter Springs museum
Wishing Well Motel memorabilia installed at museum
This week, not only is the Illinois Route 66 Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac celebrating its fifth anniversary, but the sign and wishing well from the gone-but-not-forgotten Wishing Well Motel of Countryside, Ill., has been installed on the museum's property. A large Route 66 mural also has been added to the building's south … Continue reading Wishing Well Motel memorabilia installed at museum