The Artsy website posted a well-researched article of how the Cadillac Ranch art installation in Amarillo, Texas, came to be, including vintage photos of it being built. Cadillac Ranch turned into a roadside icon -- including for Route 66 travelers -- in the four decades since local tycoon Stanley Marsh 3 commissioned it from the Ant Farm … Continue reading The early history of Cadillac Ranch
Category: People
New East Town mural dedicated in Joplin
Residents dedicated a new, 60-foot-long mural at 621 Langston Hughes-Broadway (aka Route 66) in Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday. According to the Joplin Globe, the mural on the side wall of a former grocery store depicts the history of the city's historic East Town neighborhood. About 200 people, many of them East Town residents, attended the ceremony. The mural is … Continue reading New East Town mural dedicated in Joplin
A spaceship on Route 66 in Illinois
WRSP-TV found this oddity on Route 66 in Divernon, Illinois -- a former cop, Dave Bentley, who made his own spaceship and parked it in his front yard for the enjoyment of passers-by and tourists. Check out the video: The "Earth Patrol" spaceship is part of a diorama featuring Route 66. There's also a hole … Continue reading A spaceship on Route 66 in Illinois
Vin Scully calls it a career
Sunday marked the last major-league game by Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully after 67 seasons behind the booth. The Dodgers made the playoffs, but Scully, 88, insisted his last game before retiring would be a regular-season one. So a 7-1 Dodgers loss Sunday at San Francisco was the finale. Here are a few Scully highlights from … Continue reading Vin Scully calls it a career
Midpoint Cafe put up for sale because of owner’s health problems
The Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, a Route 66 landmark for many years, has been placed on the market after its owner endured chronic health issues -- including an episode late this summer that required hospitalization. Owner Dennis Purschwitz posted Saturday on Facebook: As many of you all know, this past season has been hard on me, my … Continue reading Midpoint Cafe put up for sale because of owner’s health problems
Tow Tater, aka Tow Mater, has a competitor in Missouri Mater
A lot of Route 66 folks know of Tow Tater, the 1951 International boom truck on Route 66 in Galena, Kansas, that served as the direct inspiration to the Tow Mater character in the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated film "Cars." But barely 15 miles east in Carterville, Missouri, also on Route 66, sits another rusty tow truck that … Continue reading Tow Tater, aka Tow Mater, has a competitor in Missouri Mater
Scenes from the Best of the West on 66 Fest Parade
Frank Kocevar, former co-owner of Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona, recently uploaded this from the Best of the West of 66 Fest in Kingman, Arizona. Grand marshals for the parade were Dries Bessels and Marion Flimm of the Dutch Route 66 Association. Music for the video is "Kings of Kingman" by The Road Crew. … Continue reading Scenes from the Best of the West on 66 Fest Parade
A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968
I stumbled onto this recent video about a car accident in October 1968 that killed four teenagers on Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Fontana, California.. Two other teens died on Foothill in other accidents the same weekend. https://youtu.be/4FSmC_wKMx8 The video isn't shot by a professional, so you'll have shakiness and typical other things from … Continue reading A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968
Co-creator of Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner dies
Roy Dunton, a longtime Route 66 resident who with his son built Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner and a slew of automotive businesses in Kingman, Arizona, died last week at age 95. According to an obituary in the Kingman Daily Miner, Roy and Scott Dunton built and leased out Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner, a … Continue reading Co-creator of Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner dies
The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April
The Mill restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, likely will reopen as an area history museum in April after almost 10 years of restoration work on the Route 66 landmark. The Springfield State Journal-Register published a detailed story about The Mill and the plans for it. A $10,720 cost-share grant recently awarded by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program … Continue reading The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April