This new video features a collection of photos taken during the early 1980s by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation along NW 39th Street from Oklahoma City to the suburb of Bethany, before U.S. 66 become decommissioned. According to Rachel Mosman, a photo archivist at the Oklahoma Historical Society, the photos were animated by J.A. Pryse into a video. https://youtu.be/mvcUHhXO9ts In … Continue reading A sample of a treasure trove of photos
Category: Preservation
Pony Bridge added to Endangered Places list
Preservation Oklahoma recently placed the famous Pony Bridge near Bridgeport, Oklahoma, on its 2016 list of Oklahoma's Most Endangered Historic Places. The endangered-places listing was announced in April in Tulsa. The State Historic Preservation Office published the list in its current issue of the Preservation Oklahoma News. This is how Preservation Oklahoma listed the bridge, which also is … Continue reading Pony Bridge added to Endangered Places list
Gallup district placed on National Register
The Gallup Commercial Historic District in Gallup, New Mexico, that includes parts of Route 66 recently was designated to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation became effective June 21, according to an email this week from the National Park Service. The boundaries of the Gallup Commercial Historic District are Route 66 to the north, South Seventh … Continue reading Gallup district placed on National Register
Building with vintage sign collection is for sale
A commercial building along Route 66 in Commerce, Oklahoma -- along with its treasure trove of vintage signs -- is for sale on Craigslist for $85,000. View the listing for the building at 711 Commerce Ave. (map) here. The 1959 building takes up a city block and features more than 10,000 square feet of space. According to the … Continue reading Building with vintage sign collection is for sale
Anyone need a Muffler Man for their business?
If you own a Route 66 business that needs an eye-catching boost, the folks behind the "American Giants" documentary series are auctioning a 20-foot-tall Muffler Man. The fiberglass giant offered for sale is a Mr. Bendo / Paul Bunyon model. The online auction ends July 17. "American Giants" host Joel Baker said in an email "we hope … Continue reading Anyone need a Muffler Man for their business?
Hotel Will Rogers undergoes renovations
The historic Hotel Will Rogers in Claremore, Oklahoma, finished a seven-month, $2.4 million renovation and is rechristened Will Rogers Lofts. Also known as the Will Rogers Hotel, it long was known for its radium baths; the naturally occurring water was believed to hold health benefits. According to KOTV in Tulsa: During the renovations, the builders were able to preserve some … Continue reading Hotel Will Rogers undergoes renovations
Monrovia gas station designated as historic landmark
The city council of Monrovia, California, this week designated a former gas station along an early alignment of Route 66 as a historic landmark. The city's Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the property at 805 S. Shamrock Ave. (map here) and recommended the designation. The report about the property is here (PDF file), but here are some takeaways about it: --- It's one … Continue reading Monrovia gas station designated as historic landmark
Unpopular marquee returning to Rialto Square Theatre
An additional marquee for the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, that was nixed because of its unpopularity is returning -- this time, to the back of the historic building. The theater's principals still are raising funds for the classic marquee. But they think the red-headed stepchild of the other marquee still can prove useful. The Herald-News reported: … Continue reading Unpopular marquee returning to Rialto Square Theatre
Santa Rosa Route 66 museum closer to reality
Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and Classical Gas Museum owner Johnnie Meier have edged closer to an agreement to set up a Route 66 museum in the city's Ilfeld Warehouse. Last week's print edition of the The Communicator, based in Santa Rosa, reported the city and Meier were in on-and-off talks for almost a decade amid funding issues and other sticking … Continue reading Santa Rosa Route 66 museum closer to reality
Totem Pole festival will help mark its restoration
The Totem Pole BBQ and Music Fest on Saturday at Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park near Foyil, Oklahoma, will help mark the recent completion of the restoration of the park's large totem pole. The repainting of the complex's 90-foot-tall totem pole by artists Margo Hoover and Erin Turner began last summer, and they finished all but the … Continue reading Totem Pole festival will help mark its restoration