The Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., reopened to the public for the first time Friday morning since being heavily damaged by a fire nearly a year ago. A couple of contractors need to finish work on the historic Route 66 restaurant, and owner Dawn Welch and her crew could offer only a very limited menu, … Continue reading Rock Cafe reopens to the public
Category: Preservation
More on the Palms Grill reopening
The Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph has more about the reopening of the long-closed, historic Palms Grill on Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill. Palm trees were first placed in the cafe by Atlanta resident Robert Adams, who opened the eatery in August 1934. Adams was inspired by palms he saw in California. Customers also get a taste … Continue reading More on the Palms Grill reopening
Kingman group raising money to restore signs
The fledgling Route 66 Association of Kingman has begun a silent auction as a fundraiser to restore neon signs that once graced the Mother Road in Kingman, Ariz. Kingman roadie Jim Hinckley passed along this information via e-mail: The organization has acquired and stored the City Cafe and Imperial Motel sign. A beautiful old Packard sales … Continue reading Kingman group raising money to restore signs
Why the historic 11th Street Bridge remains closed
KOTV in Tulsa filed a report about why the historic 11th Street Bridge remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians, even though it was originally envisioned as a centerpiece of Tulsa's Route 66. The answer has been answered here before -- namely, it was found later that rehabbing the bridge would have eaten up nearly all … Continue reading Why the historic 11th Street Bridge remains closed
Palms Grill resurrected
The historic Palms Grill Cafe in the Route 66 town of Atlanta, Ill., reopened last month after being shuttered for more than 30 years. I'm not sure who shot and edited this video of the Palms Grill operating again, but it's good. I hear a lot of folks complaining about how much Route 66 has … Continue reading Palms Grill resurrected
Marker at Sidewalk Highway proposed
Laurel Kane of Afton Station and other roadies are trying to raise money to buy and erect a monument at the south end of the fabled Sidewalk Highway of Route 66 north of Afton, Okla. Kane provides the details on her Thoughts from a Route 66 Business Owner blog: The $3920 cost of the installation … Continue reading Marker at Sidewalk Highway proposed
Vintage photos of Chambless, surrounding area wanted
Gus Lizalde, proprietor of the Chambless66 blog dedicated to the Mojave Desert ghost town of Chambless, Calif., says he's "getting close" to beginning reconstruction of Chambless. To assist this project, he's seeking vintage photos of Chambless and the surrounding area, including Cadiz Summit and the Road Runner Cafe. You can e-mail images to design1one(at)aol(dot)com. "We … Continue reading Vintage photos of Chambless, surrounding area wanted
Rock Cafe update
While doing some other Route 66-related work in the Stroud, Okla., area on Tuesday, I decided to drop in on the Rock Cafe in town and see how the rebuilding was going since the restaurant was gutted by a fire nearly a year ago. As you can see, the roof is nearly complete: One of … Continue reading Rock Cafe update
Dedication ceremony set for Meadow Gold sign
The City of Tulsa has set a date of May 22 for a public dedication ceremony for the restoration and rebuilding of the historic Meadow Gold sign, now located at Quaker Avenue and 11th Street (aka Route 66). The dedication will begin at 11 a.m. that day. Dennis Whitaker, with the city's Planning Department, said … Continue reading Dedication ceremony set for Meadow Gold sign
City council gives landmark status to historic station
The city council of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., unanimously awarded historic landmark status to the Cucamonga Service Station, located on Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66), reported the Contra Costa Times. Receiving such a status does not mean the two buildings - the structure once used as a gas station that faces the street and the former … Continue reading City council gives landmark status to historic station