An automotive artist from California may buy Dale's Ole 66 Barber Shop in Joplin, Missouri, and turn it into a gallery and visitors center, according to the Joplin Globe. Len Nordmann of Lake Elsinore, California, wants to buy the property at 2312 Utica St. (aka Route 66) from Shirley Holly, widow of longtime owner Dale Holly, who owned it … Continue reading Joplin barber shop likely to become gallery, visitors center
Category: Preservation
Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
An article this week in the The State Journal-Register answers one question in the wake of the demolition of the Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois -- what will happen to the neon signs? The short answer: They've been acquired by two local residents, where they likely will be restored. Retired Springfield businessman Ron Metzger and … Continue reading Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced four cost-share grants totaling more than $97,000 for 2015. Boots Court architectural neon restoration, Carthage, Missouri, $20,000 grant, $20,565 match: Built in 1939, the Boots Court Motel is an outstanding example of a mom-and-pop motor court built in the Streamline Moderne style. Once threatened with demolition, the owners … Continue reading 2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced
Restoration of Totem Pole begins
Two artists who hail from Tulsa recently began restoration of the top part of the main totem pole at Totem Pole Park, off Route 66 in Foyil, Oklahoma, according to KOTV. Margo Hoover and Erin Turner began using power washers Saturday to strip the remnants of the old paint off so they can repaint the … Continue reading Restoration of Totem Pole begins
Reporter wants to track down Phillips 66 cottage stations on OKC area
A reporter for The Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City wants to track down all of the old Phillips 66 cottage-style gas stations in the Oklahoma City metro area. Business writer Brianna Bailey wrote about that quest during a recent column: With their jaunty gabled roofs, chimneys, and arched entryways, there’s something that draws me to … Continue reading Reporter wants to track down Phillips 66 cottage stations on OKC area
Joplin city council OKs architectural study on century-old garage
The city council of Joplin, Missouri, voted 6-3 to approve a $14,000 architectural study on a circa-1920 garage that's envisioned as a Route 66 welcome center, according to the Joplin Globe. The money for the study will come from motel tax money and be used by the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau. The dilapidated garage is … Continue reading Joplin city council OKs architectural study on century-old garage
Mr. Sam and the Arcadia Round Barn
This well-produced video is situated at the historic Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma, but focuses more on the Route 66 landmark's longtime host, Mr. Sam. Arcadia from Stewart Perryman on Vimeo. Alas, Mr. Sam resigned as chairman of the Arcadia Historical Society in March. But I get the impression Mr. Sam won't stay away from … Continue reading Mr. Sam and the Arcadia Round Barn
King bridge in St. Louis closes Monday for months
The Martin Luther King Bridge that connects East St. Louis, Illinois, to St. Louis is expected to close starting Monday for months because of repairs, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The bridge, built as a toll bridge in 1951, needs to have its decks rebuilt. The King Bridge, also known as the Veterans Bridge, served … Continue reading King bridge in St. Louis closes Monday for months
Joplin visitors-center idea may face wrecking ball
A nearly century-old gas station in Joplin, Missouri, envisioned as a Route 66 visitors center instead may be torn down, partly because city councilors are balking at the site's rehabilitation costs, according to the Joplin Globe. Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau director Patrick Tuttle wanted the property at 1109-1111 Langston Hughes-Broadway to be converted into a Route 66 … Continue reading Joplin visitors-center idea may face wrecking ball
Thefts hit Gay Parita Station
Apparently the same thief or thieves who recently struck the ghost town of Spencer, Missouri, also hit the nearby Gay Parita Sinclair station in recent days. According to Steve Turner, son of late Gay Parita owner Gary Turner, the following items were taken: Royal Crown thermometer by the Dunlop Tires sign Squirt oil sign below … Continue reading Thefts hit Gay Parita Station