The state of Illinois now is selling a Route 66 license plate made specially for motorcycles. Revenues from the new plate go to the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byways fund, which helps preserve and promote the old road in the Land of Lincoln. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation for the plate during an August ceremony … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 motorcycle license plate goes on sale
Category: Preservation
Facade of Donut Drive-In in St. Louis gets face-lift
Just before Christmas, the original facade for the Donut Drive-In along Route 66 in St. Louis was restored for the first time in decades with the help of a federal grant. The building at 6525 Chippewa St. (aka Route 66) now sports backlit Plexiglas panels on three sides with lettering from the same style as … Continue reading Facade of Donut Drive-In in St. Louis gets face-lift
Heritage House bed-and-breakfast soon will open in Amarillo
A new lodging option soon will open in Amarillo in a historic house about a mile south of Route 66. It's the Heritage House bed-and-breakfast at 1620 S. Polk St. (map here), which sits south of the Sixth Street alignment of Route 66. The home was built in 1906 by E.L. Dohoney and bought in … Continue reading Heritage House bed-and-breakfast soon will open in Amarillo
MoDOT lays out options for Gasconade River Bridge
The Missouri Department of Transportation on Wednesday night in Lebanon, Missouri, presented its options during a public hearing for the now-closed Gasconade River Bridge that carried Route 66 near Hazelgreen. MoDOT posted a series of documents on its website here. KOLR-TV also summarized the five options for the bridge, which was closed for two years ago because … Continue reading MoDOT lays out options for Gasconade River Bridge
Tulsa’s Route 66 Experience more than halfway to funding goal
A key official behind the proposed Route 66 Experience in Tulsa said fundraising for the multi-use museum complex is more than halfway to its $23 million goal. Ken Busby, CEO and executive director of the nonprofit Route 66 Alliance, told KJRH-TV in Tulsa about $13 million has been raised so far. Because of the site's … Continue reading Tulsa’s Route 66 Experience more than halfway to funding goal
Woman wants to reopen Larry Baggett’s Trail of Tears by 2018
After he died in 2003, Larry Baggett's Trail of Tears property fell into disrepair, and Route 66 travelers who drove by the unique site near Jerome, Missouri, wondered whether it ever would be restored. Now it appears military veteran Marie Ryberg, who recently retired, bought the property and aims to restore the landmark and reopen … Continue reading Woman wants to reopen Larry Baggett’s Trail of Tears by 2018
Public hearing for Gasconade River Bridge set for Dec. 14
The Missouri Department of Transportation will present its options for the closed Gasoncade River Bridge near Hazelgreen during a public hearing at 4 p.m. Dec. 14. The hearing will be held at Laclede Electric Cooperative, 1400 E. Route 66 in Lebanon (map here). It's expected to last about two hours. According to a news release from … Continue reading Public hearing for Gasconade River Bridge set for Dec. 14
Ash Fork’s little-known historical gem
Only one of two steel dams still exist in the United States, and one is less than a mile off an old alignment of Route 66 east of Ash Fork, Arizona. Known as the Bainbridge Steel Dam or the Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway built the dam's parts offsite and shipped … Continue reading Ash Fork’s little-known historical gem
Savior of Twin Arrows landmark found dead in murder-suicide
Mary Smeal, who reportedly was responsible more than any other person for the restoration a few years ago of the Twin Arrows off Route 66 in Arizona, was found dead Wednesday an apparent murder-suicide. Coconino County sheriff's deputies found the bodies of Smeal, 55, and her companion, Jeffery Jones, 57, at Smeal's residence near Twin Arrows. … Continue reading Savior of Twin Arrows landmark found dead in murder-suicide
Zettlers Route 66 store in Ash Fork put up for sale
The owners of the Zettlers Route 66 store in Ash Fork, Arizona, have put the business up for sale less than a year after opening it. Kirk and Yvette Slack finished about 15 months of cleaning and renovations to the historic building on Route 66 and reopened it as a crafts and collectibles business April 1. The Slacks … Continue reading Zettlers Route 66 store in Ash Fork put up for sale