Kingman looking for donations for neon-sign park

The Route 66 Association of Kingman in Kingman, Arizona, is seeking donations of old neon signs and money to help set up neon parks along Route 66 in town, according to an article in the Kingman Daily Miner. The parks will be linked with other developments along the Route 66 corridor such as the Route … Continue reading Kingman looking for donations for neon-sign park

The home of the Bel-Aire Motel Sputnik

I missed this when it happened last summer, but Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, Illinois, restored the Sputnik sign that stood atop the Bel-Aire Motel and displays it in its museum. The Bel-Aire, a longtime Route 66 motel, was torn down last year after hundreds of code violations. According to a story on the Illinois Route 66 … Continue reading The home of the Bel-Aire Motel Sputnik

La Bajada Hill may become a national monument

In the wake of Barack Obama last week designating a big chunk of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert as the Mojave Trails National Monument, pressure is building on the president to designate La Bajada Hill in New Mexico as a national monument, as well. The Christian Science Monitor, in a story Saturday about Obama's executive actions, … Continue reading La Bajada Hill may become a national monument

More about the new Mojave Trails National Monument

Media reports and news releases from the U.S. government have provided more details about President Barack Obama's declaration Friday of 1.6 million acres of Southern California desert as the Mojave Trails National Monument. The monument includes 105 miles of Route 66 from Needles to Ludlow, California. The president's declaration for the Mojave Trails National Monument may be … Continue reading More about the new Mojave Trails National Monument

President to designate Mojave Trails National Monument today

President Barack Obama today will name three national monuments in the California desert, including the Mojave Trails National Monument that includes Route 66 from Needles to Ludlow. According to the Associated Press, Obama will announce it today, but multiple news media outlets reported the president's imminent actions just before midnight Central time Thursday. The designation, where the president will invoke the 1906 … Continue reading President to designate Mojave Trails National Monument today

2016 will be make-or-break for Route 66 State Park bridge

With the Route 66 State Park bridge near Eureka, Missouri, facing an early 2017 deadline, the Great Rivers Greenway is raising funds in an effort save the bridge from demolition and even restore it. The $325,000 earmarked by the Missouri Department of Transportation for demolition in 2017 instead would be rolled into a restoration plan and the bridge deeded to the … Continue reading 2016 will be make-or-break for Route 66 State Park bridge

Cool Springs Camp needs a caretaker

The caretaker at Cool Springs Camp on Route 66 between Kingman and Oatman, Arizona, is retiring soon, and the owner is looking for someone to replace him. Owner Ned Leuchtner said he's looking for someone to run the gift shop, deal with vendors and possibly "ramp up" sales on Cool Springs Camp's website. The current … Continue reading Cool Springs Camp needs a caretaker

Galena Viaduct wins grants to finish restoration

The Galena Viaduct, also known as the Front Street Bridge, north of Galena, Kansas, recently received almost $400,000 in grants to finish its restoration. The bridge recently received a federal $193,836 Community Development Block Grant and a $193,837 match from Cherokee County. Cherokee County commissioner Pat Collins said the money will be used to refurbish the … Continue reading Galena Viaduct wins grants to finish restoration

Holbrook Dairy Queen sign allowed to stay

Less than two weeks ago, it was learned Dairy Queen wanted a franchise along Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona, to replace its 50-year-old neon sign. Hundreds of preservationists launched a Change.org petition and called and emailed DQ headquarters in response, asking it to allow the sign to stay at its longtime home at 1004 Navajo Blvd. … Continue reading Holbrook Dairy Queen sign allowed to stay

Laurel Kane, matriarch of Afton Station, dies

Laurel Kane, 69, matriarch of the Afton Station visitors center on Route 66 in Afton, Oklahoma, died Thursday from a short illness as the result of a fall at her home in Tulsa earlier in the week, according to her former husband, David Kane. David Kane said by phone Laurel died peacefully with him, her daughter and longtime … Continue reading Laurel Kane, matriarch of Afton Station, dies