A mile or two east of Kellyville, Okla., on Route 66 is a new place called Old Matt's General Store. Here's the kicker: According to an article in the Sapulpa Daily Herald, owner Matthew Morris graduated in May and opened his store in mid-July. That's graduated from high school, not college. He has it figured … Continue reading Old Matt is not that old
Category: People
Wrink’s Market closes
Buffeted by a poor economy and other economic factors, Terry Wrinkle pulled the plug on his resurrected Wrink's Market off old Route 66 in Lebanon, Mo., and closed it in mid-June. Wrinkle reopened Wrink's Market in June 2007 after his father and the store's longtime owner, Glenn "Wrink" Wrinkle, died in 2005 at age 82. … Continue reading Wrink’s Market closes
Roadies on the radio
Oklahoma Route 66 historian Jim Ross passes along word that an interview by KOSU, a National Public Radio affiliate, about Route 66 will air at 7:04 a.m. and 10:17 a.m. today. Laurel Kane, co-owner of Afton Station, also was interviewed, but she wasn't sure whether her comments made the final cut. The frequency will be … Continue reading Roadies on the radio
Roadie opening art gallery in Amarillo
Longtime Texas Route 66 enthusiast Bob "Crocodile" Lile is holding a grand opening of his new Lile Art Gallery in Amarillo on Aug. 7. The event is being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk. Lile Art Gallery is at 3701 Plains Blvd. (map here) in the Sunset Shopping Mall, the first mall … Continue reading Roadie opening art gallery in Amarillo
Running the route with a twist
Each summer, a few athletes try to run old Route 66 to raise money for charity or to simply challenge themselves. Two stories came over Friday of runners trying to trudge down all 2,400 miles of the Mother Road. Both featured unusual twists. First, there's Internet mogul Tellman Knudson, who is training for a run … Continue reading Running the route with a twist
New Mexico woman earns prestigious preservation honor
Patty Guggino of Los Lunas, N.M., on Monday earned the prestigious Historic Preservation Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is the first resident of New Mexico to win the honor, and only the 16th in the United States, according to a report in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. The DAR Historic Preservation Medal … Continue reading New Mexico woman earns prestigious preservation honor
Notes from the road
A few things to move off my plate: --- One of the beneficiaries of federal stimulus package passed earlier this year is a Route 66 bicycle trail in Illinois. According to an Associated Press report, $25,000 in such funds will be used to build a four-way stop signal at an intersection for the Route 66 … Continue reading Notes from the road
Mother Road couple to mark 70 years of marriage
Gene and Clara Hodkin of Barstow, Calif., will observe their 70th wedding anniversary on Saturday, reports the Contra Costa Times. And their history goes up and down the Mother Road. Gene, 93, and Clara, 87, were childhood sweethearts when they were married just before midnight by a justice of the peace in Carthage, Mo., where … Continue reading Mother Road couple to mark 70 years of marriage
Hail Hale
You usually don't hear the word "toughness" in descriptions of professional golfers. But Hale Irwin is an exception. Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star talks about Irwin's background: Hale Irwin grew up playing Baxter Springs Country Club, which was anything but the exclusive playground its name implies. Irwin's home course in Kansas was a nine-hole … Continue reading Hail Hale
Portrait of a Route 66 advocate
The Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner has a good story about Route 66 aficionado Jim Hinckley and his efforts to kick-start more Route 66 tourism in Kingman -- efforts which seem to be finally bearing fruit. The Kingman Route 66 Association recently reformed, and Kingman's historic downtown is being revitalized. He's been doing his part by … Continue reading Portrait of a Route 66 advocate