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.
Category: Preservation
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
Going through The Mill
The Lincoln Daily News has posted a few photos from the 80th-anniversary celebration of The Mill in Lincoln, Ill. The re-enactors of old characters at the mostly restored Route 66 restaurant are a hoot. I didn't know the place had an association with gangster Al Capone. The main story is here. A lot of interesting … Continue reading Going through The Mill
Historic status sought for Lamplighter property
A portion of the Inn of the Lamplighter, a longtime social gathering spot and an oasis for Route 66 travelers in Springfield, Ill., is going to be nominated as a historic landmark, reports the Springfield Journal-Register. This week a group of residents at the Route 66 landmark-turned-condos begins the work of putting a piece of … Continue reading Historic status sought for Lamplighter property
Tulsa restaurant refurbishing neon sign
Tulsa roadie Brad Nickson dropped me an e-mail about El Rancho Grande, the longest-surviving restaurant on 11th Street, aka Route 66, in Tulsa. Nickson said the owner is giving a face-lift to its distinctive and vintage neon sign. The neon is off and the re-painting is almost complete. Owner (John) said it should have the … Continue reading Tulsa restaurant refurbishing neon sign
New Mexico woman earns prestigious preservation honor
Patty Guggino of Los Lunas, N.M., on Monday earned the prestigious Historic Preservation Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is the first resident of New Mexico to win the honor, and only the 16th in the United States, according to a report in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. The DAR Historic Preservation Medal … Continue reading New Mexico woman earns prestigious preservation honor
Notes from the road
--- The bad news in Oklahoma is that the state's turnpike authority will raise toll-road prices an average of 16 percent. The good news is that this probably means more traffic on old Route 66 in the Sooner State. --- On Monday we briefly visited with Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Cafe in Stroud, … Continue reading Notes from the road