The Vintage Cowgirl at Wrink's Market in Lebanon, Missouri, announced on Facebook it was closing permanently after 8 p.m. Saturday. It's the second closure of the historic Route 66 business since its founder and longtime operator died in 2005. "We have cherished every moment serving you and the community," the post from the business stated. … Continue reading Vintage Cowgirl at Wrink’s Market is closing permanently on July 13
Category: People
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum to host Route 66 Hall of Fame induction, new exhibit
The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, later this month will host its biannual Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, plus a new photo exhibit by a current Route 66 advocate. The free ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on July 27, though the museum itself at 2229 W. Gary Blvd. (aka … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Museum to host Route 66 Hall of Fame induction, new exhibit
Duarte Historical Society to honor the Hellers when it dedicates Route 66 Room on June 30
The Duarte Historical Society & Museum in Duarte, California, will honor Claudia and Alan Heller when it dedicates a new Route 66 Room on June 30. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported the ceremony will be at 3 p.m. that day at the historical society's museum at 777 Encanto Parkway (map here). Claudia Heller was … Continue reading Duarte Historical Society to honor the Hellers when it dedicates Route 66 Room on June 30
Former Boots Court motel manager Deborah “Debbie Dee” Real dies
Deborah "Debbie Dee" Real, a manager for the Boots Court motel in Carthage, Missouri, during a key time in its revival, has died. She was 73. Real regularly greeted overnight visitors in the Route 66 motel's front office when Deb Harvey and her sister, Priscilla Bledsaw, owned it. The sisters oversaw improvements to the motel, … Continue reading Former Boots Court motel manager Deborah “Debbie Dee” Real dies
Special online screening of “Route 66: An American Odyssey,” live Q&A set for June 6
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership announced a special online screening featuring an announcement and discussion with filmmaker John Paget about his forthcoming Route 66 centennial film and the premiere of a newly remastered HD version of his acclaimed 1994 documentary "Route 66: An American Odyssey." The free online event will take place at 5 … Continue reading Special online screening of “Route 66: An American Odyssey,” live Q&A set for June 6
Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Kansas Historic Route 66 Association
Dean "Crazy Legs" Walker, nicknamed for his ability to turn his legs backward, received a lifetime achievement award from the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association. Dora Meroney, a longtime Route 66 booster from Amarillo, was there to get pictures of the ceremony at Cars on the Route site in Galena, Kansas. More pictures from Jeremy … Continue reading Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Kansas Historic Route 66 Association
Shea’s Route 66 Museum in Springfield reopens Monday for the first time in over a decade
The Shea's Route 66 Museum along Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois, will reopen at 4 p.m. Monday after receiving extensive renovations at the former gas station. According to the Springfield State Journal-Register (subscription required), Scott Dahl of the city's convention and visitors bureau said it would be the first time the site, now owned by … Continue reading Shea’s Route 66 Museum in Springfield reopens Monday for the first time in over a decade
Theater in Prescott to host a book launch for Bob Boze Bell’s “The 66 Kids”
The Phippen Museum, in honor of the Phippen's 50th-anniversary Western Art Show & Sale, will present "The 66 Kids Road Show" on May 24 with Western artist and True West magazine's Bob Boze Bell at the historic Elks Theatre in downtown Prescott, Arizona. "The 66 Kids Road Show" will premiere songs and stories about "Two-Lane Tales" and growing … Continue reading Theater in Prescott to host a book launch for Bob Boze Bell’s “The 66 Kids”
Former Lebanon gas station owner who recalls briefly meeting Pretty Boy Floyd dies at 98
Tommy Speaker, likely the oldest surviving businessman from the peak Route 66 era of Lebanon, Missouri, who as a child encountered outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd, died last Tuesday. He was 98. Speaker ran the now-vacant Speaker's Mobil station, an operation that had been owned by his family since Route 66 was built in the 1920s. … Continue reading Former Lebanon gas station owner who recalls briefly meeting Pretty Boy Floyd dies at 98
Rudy Gonzales, last of the old-time sign painters, dies at 90
Rudy Gonzales, who handpainted signs large and small for more than a half-century along Route 66 in New Mexico, died on April 21. He was 90. A rosary and memorial Mass for Gonzales will be held Friday at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Tucumcari, according to his obituary. Route 66 News published a feature about … Continue reading Rudy Gonzales, last of the old-time sign painters, dies at 90