The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac is seeking nominations for its Class of 2007, reports the Pontiac Daily Leader. Nominations may be submitted to: Route 66 Association of Illinois, Attention: Hall of Fame Committee, 110 W. Howard St., Pontiac, IL 61764. Deadline for receiving the applications is March 10. Induction ceremonies will … Continue reading Illinois Hall of Fame needs nominees
Category: People
Oatman gunfight re-enactor killed in accident
Those who have visited the remote Route 66 town of Oatman, Ariz., probably have seen the often-humorous Old West gunfighter shows along the town's main drag. According to the Mojave Daily News, one of those gunfighters was killed in an auto accident on Route 66 east of Kingman on Tuesday. Irving Thomas Spence, 57, of … Continue reading Oatman gunfight re-enactor killed in accident
History of Route 66 on the Voice of America
Ted Landphair has provided a report on the history and current days of Historic Route 66 for the Voice of America. The Mother Road report provides a lot of attention in Oklahoma, including author Michael Wallis and Seaba Station owner Sue Preston. This also gives me the opportunity to try out this new audio plug-in … Continue reading History of Route 66 on the Voice of America
Bicycle ride will assist Iraq veterans
The Desert Dispatch of Barstow, Calif., reports that Vietnam War veteran Ken Rhodes plans to bicycle Route 66 to Washington, D.C., to raise funds for Iraq War veterans and muscular dystrophy research. He's going to leave Santa Monica on April 4, the anniversary that the helicopter he was riding in was shot down in 1969. … Continue reading Bicycle ride will assist Iraq veterans
Country Store may close
(Sign hanging above the cash register at the Country Store) When the Country Store opened on 11th Street in Tulsa nearly 40 years ago, it was, in fact, in the country. Four decades of urban sprawl later, the Country Store's location on historic Route 66 is considered part of midtown Tulsa. Farmers are an endangered … Continue reading Country Store may close
Down at the ol’ Rabbit Ranch
It's always a treat to visit to Henry's Rabbit Ranch, located on old Route 66 in Staunton, Ill. Not only is proprieter Rich Henry an affable host, but it's fun to pet the ever-mellow Montana, one of his 37 pet rabbits, and see the new stuff Henry has acquired or planned. Henry's has a well-stocked … Continue reading Down at the ol’ Rabbit Ranch
“Guy with the horns” dies
Arlen Strehlow's name probably doesn't ring a bell for most people. It probably wouldn't even jolt memories for many of his fellow Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders. However, Harley owners knew of him because of his look -- wearing a helmet fitted with a pair of outlandishly long Texas longhorns. He was known as "The Guy with … Continue reading “Guy with the horns” dies
“I Have a Dream”
This is the full version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. So what does King have to do with Route 66? Well, there's this passage: There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" [...] We can never be satisfied as … Continue reading “I Have a Dream”
The mother of “The Mother Road”
Remember last summer's PBS-TV documentary, "The Mother Road," where filmmaker Lauren Cardillo and her mother, Irene, traveled Route 66? The Cape Cod (Mass.) Chronicle interviewed Irene shortly before a re-airing of the one-hour program this Sunday on a local station. The story contains quite a bit of background about the film, which was originally shot … Continue reading The mother of “The Mother Road”
A death in the family
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch today tells the tragic story George F. "Fred" Kiesel. Kiesel lived in one of the rooms at the Wayside Motel, one of the few surviving vintage motels along old Route 66 in the suburb of Marlborough. The Wayside is across the road from the famed Coral Court Motel, which was torn … Continue reading A death in the family