While in the Route 66 town of Needles, Calif., this summer, it appeared there was little recent activity in the restoration of the historic El Garces Hotel. A sign said the century-old Harvey House would have a "limited" opening by winter 2008, and the hotel's Web site hadn't been updated since last year. El Garces' … Continue reading What’s happening with El Garces?
Category: Preservation
Grand El Rancho Grande
El Rancho Grande restaurant on Route 66 in Tulsa had been working for the past few months in restoring its vintage neon sign. On Wednesday night, Modern Tulsa hosted a celebration as the refurbished sign was turned on. Here a video of the lighting by the Oklahoma Modern blog: El Rancho Grande has been in … Continue reading Grand El Rancho Grande
2009 cost-share grants announced for Route 66 properties
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced Monday its cost-share grant recipients for 2009. They are: Colors of the West, 201 W. Route 66, Williams, Ariz. — Constructed in 1912, the Duffy Brothers building in downtown Williams served as a grocery until 1954, when it became the Indian House, a curio selling Indian crafts and … Continue reading 2009 cost-share grants announced for Route 66 properties
Castle Car Wash being restored
The historic Castle Car Wash building on Odgen Avenue, aka Route 66, in Chicago is being restored after years of neglect and will be converted into a Greek restaurant. Debra Jane Seltzer of the terrific Roadside Architecture site got the scoop when she saw workers at the site and asked them what was going on. Seltzer said the work at the building has been going on for about two weeks. According to … Continue reading Castle Car Wash being restored
Slide in to the drive-in
The Joplin Globe has a nice article and photo slide show about the historic 66 Drive-In theater in Carthage, Mo. Check it out. The story contains a notable quote from a local historian: “It (Route 66) reminds us of an era that’s passed us by,” said Brad Belk, director of the Joplin Museum Complex. “It … Continue reading Slide in to the drive-in
More images from the Rock Creek Bridge
Here are a couple of more recent images from roadie Brad Nickson of the Rock Creek Bridge, which carried an old alignment of Route 66, west of Sapulpa, Okla. Volunteers cleared a lot of brush around the bridge during the weekend to help improve the sight lines to the bridge, and it appears they succeeded.
Rock Creek Bridge gets spruced up
The Rock Creek Bridge, which dates to 1921 and carried an original alignment of Route 66 near Sapulpa, Okla., got a bit of a cleanup on Friday. Longtime roadie Brad Nickson was there and had this report: This morning some volunteer crews for AEP/PSO and OG&E cleared some trees and brush from around the Rock … Continue reading Rock Creek Bridge gets spruced up
Depot move hits a snag
The City of Braidwood, Ill., undertook a recent effort to move its historic railroad depot just off Route 66 after a nearby grocery store needed the land for extra parking. However, since the proposed move to a spot across the street from City Hall, some other problems in the depot have popped up, reports the … Continue reading Depot move hits a snag
A day in a ghost town on Route 66
Here's a very atmospheric video about the Route 66 desert hamlet of Amboy, Calif., by F.C. Howard. Fortunately, the town's most visible business, Roy's, has improved considerably since this video was made. Roy's now sells drinks, snacks and even gasoline again, thanks to the dogged efforts of Juan Pollo restaurant chain owner Albert Okura to … Continue reading A day in a ghost town on Route 66
The Mill gets $10,000 grant
The Mill, a historic former restaurant on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., will receive a $10,000 cost-share grant from the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. "This is really good news for us because it allows us to put a new foundation around the building, which will give it … Continue reading The Mill gets $10,000 grant