The city of Tulsa is working to set up a Route 66 neon-sign overlay district that would encourage the use and preservation of such signs. The Frontier news site, based in Tulsa, had the details: The city’s idea, patterned after a similar one in Albuquerque, N.M., is simple: make it easier to put up a neon sign … Continue reading Tulsa may encourage neon signs along Route 66
Category: Preservation
Sprague Super Service station reopens Saturday as Ryburn Place
The long-in-coming restoration of the historic Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, will culminate with a grand opening Saturday, where it will be rechristened as Ryburn Place. The station will be renamed after Route 66 enthusiast Terri Ryburn, who purchased the property more than a decade ago and slowly and steadily began to restore … Continue reading Sprague Super Service station reopens Saturday as Ryburn Place
Meltdown Diner opens on Route 66 in southwest Tulsa
The owners of the Meltdown Gourmet Grilled Cheese food truck in Tulsa recently opened a permanent location on a historic corner of Route 66 in southwest part of the city, called the Meltdown Diner. Jim and Sara Hardcastle sold the food truck a few months ago and began renovating a 1949 building at Southwest Boulevard … Continue reading Meltdown Diner opens on Route 66 in southwest Tulsa
Hearing delayed to rezone Classen Circle in Oklahoma City
A controversial rezoning request that would have led to the demolition of historic Classen Circle and its businesses in Oklahoma City has been delayed at least a month. The Braum's restaurant chain, which requested the rezoning so it could put one of its stores there, agreed to move a planning commission hearing from Aug. 24 … Continue reading Hearing delayed to rezone Classen Circle in Oklahoma City
Route 66 featured on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday”
National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Saturday" program spent about four minutes on Route 66 and the uncertain fate of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, which expires in 2019. The segment by NPR affiliate KNAU focuses on Holbrook, Arizona, which features Joe and Aggie's Cafe and the Wigwam Motel, both along the Mother Road. The … Continue reading Route 66 featured on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday”
Grand opening for Sprague Super Service station set for Aug. 12
The grand opening -- or reopening, if you will -- of the gift shop and information center at the historic Sprague Super Service station in Normal, Illinois, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12. Gift-shop operator Terri Ryburn, who labored for a decade to restore the unique gas station before the city finished the … Continue reading Grand opening for Sprague Super Service station set for Aug. 12
Officials dedicate restored Front Street Bridge in Galena
Officials from Galena, Kansas, and the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Missouri attended a ceremony Saturday to mark the restoration of the historic Front Street Bridge in Galena Work on the bridge was finished in early July. Cherokee County received a Community Development Block Grant last year for the repairs, and the county covered the … Continue reading Officials dedicate restored Front Street Bridge in Galena
The man behind many Route 66 neon sign restorations
KSDK-TV in St. Louis recently produced a story about neon signs along Route 66 in Missouri -- especially signs restored by the Route 66 Association of Missouri's Neon Heritage Preservation Committee. The fellow behind many of these restorations is David Hutson of Neon Time in St. Charles, Missouri. Hutson said: “When people tour Route 66, … Continue reading The man behind many Route 66 neon sign restorations
Spaceship to land at The Mill for its 88th birthday
I never thought I'd write that headline. A spaceship made by the same man who crafted the World's Largest Covered Wagon in Lincoln, Illinois, will make a special appearance Tuesday at The Mill museum for the Route 66 landmark's 88th birthday. The Mill opened as The Blue Mill sandwich stand July 25, 1929, along U.S. … Continue reading Spaceship to land at The Mill for its 88th birthday
More about the Grand Canyon Cafe’s reopening
Flagstaff's historic Grand Canyon Cafe reopened last week after an ownership change and months of remodeling. Naturally, longtime Route 66 travelers and regular customers wonder what changes are in store for a restaurant that will mark its 75th anniversary in December after longtime owners Freddy and Tina Wong retired last year and sold it to … Continue reading More about the Grand Canyon Cafe’s reopening