I didn't know this until nearly two days after his death, but Ernie Banks, aka Mr. Cub, essentially was the first player to break the color line with Chicago's National League baseball club. Sports writer Joe Posnanski explains: At that time in the National League, just about every black player played in New York, either … Continue reading Ernie Banks broke the Cubs color line
Category: People
Owner of Gay Parita Sinclair station dies
Gary Turner, the beloved owner of the Gay Parita Sinclair gas station on old Route 66 west of Halltown, Missouri, died Thursday night. Turner's daughter, Barb Barnes, confirmed his passing Friday morning. Turner had battled health problems in the last few years, including a stroke in 2012 and a lengthy stay in the hospital this … Continue reading Owner of Gay Parita Sinclair station dies
Bob Waldmire exhibit planned in Walldog museum
An exhibit of the artwork and artifacts of late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire will be in the Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum in Pontiac, Illinois, by May, reported the Pontiac Daily Leader. The show, named the Bob Waldmire Experience, will be made in cooperation with his brother, Buz Waldmire, who has been a … Continue reading Bob Waldmire exhibit planned in Walldog museum
Cyrus Avery’s grandson weighs in on merger
The Tulsa World published a follow-up to the merger Jan. 5 of the National Historic Route 66 Federation and the Route 66 Alliance into the U.S. 66 Highway Association. And look who was in a video made by the newspaper -- the grandson of Cyrus Avery, who helped found the U.S. 66 Highway Association in … Continue reading Cyrus Avery’s grandson weighs in on merger
A closer look at the police search of Stanley Marsh 3’s office
With little fanfare last week, the Amarillo Globe-News posted online more than 350 photographs taken by police during a November 2012 search of Stanley Marsh 3's 12th-floor office in downtown Amarillo. Police searched the office in the wake of sexual-abuse allegations by teenage boys against Marsh, the owner of Route 66's famous Cadillac Ranch art … Continue reading A closer look at the police search of Stanley Marsh 3’s office
Co-owner of Becky’s Barn dies
Becky Hargett, co-owner of Becky's Barn antique store, visitors center and snack shop on old Route 66 near Auburn, Illinois, died Saturday, according to her husband Rick. Rick Hargett posted this message on Facebook on Saturday afternoon: Post by Rick Hargett. Becky's Barn is especially notable for not what it is (although there's plenty special … Continue reading Co-owner of Becky’s Barn dies
Interview with “The 66 Kid” author
Artist and western historian Bob Boze Bell was interviewed for about 13 minutes by a PBS television station at Arizona State University about his new biography, “The 66 Kid: Raised on the Mother Road," that deals primarily with his childhood in the Route 66 town of Kingman, Arizona. https://youtu.be/2OfK_nB1SFc?t=12m10s I've embedded the video so it … Continue reading Interview with “The 66 Kid” author
Widow of Bill Shea dies
Helen Shea, the widow of Shea's Route 66 Museum owner Bill Shea Sr., died Monday at a hospice in Springfield, Illinois, according to an obituary from Butler Funeral Homes. She was 96. A Springfield native, she worked at Sangamo Electric and helped run Shea's gas-station museum in Springfield. Bill Shea converted a Marathon station on Route 66 into a museum … Continue reading Widow of Bill Shea dies
Will Rogers Museum will promote Route 66 in 2015
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, will include the promotion of Route 66, aka the Will Rogers Memorial Highway, during a series of changes for the upcoming year, according to a news release published in the Tulsa World. The museums, which also includes the Rogers' Birthplace Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma, also are planning: … Continue reading Will Rogers Museum will promote Route 66 in 2015
Rocky Drake dies
Longtime roadies who traveled the Texas Panhandle may remember Rocky Drake, who died suddenly at age 58 on Friday. Drake was the husband of former Oldham County Chamber of Commerce director Linda Drake, who were based in Vega, Texas, for years. Linda, who survives, was heavily involved in promoting in Route 66, and she and Rocky often showed … Continue reading Rocky Drake dies