A bunch of people are on board for moving the Meramec Valley Historical Museum into the shuttered Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., and using the old museum property for a Catholic school. Route 66ers, the mayor of Pacific, the Red Cedar's owner and a slew of state and federal officials are all in favor … Continue reading Monkey wrench for Red Cedar Inn deal?
Category: Preservation
Last of the breed
Here's a short video about the last surviving gas station in the once-formidable Whiting Bros. chain. It is on Route 66 in Moriarty, N.M.
Devil’s Elbow Bridge update
Those wondering about the ongoing quest to rehab the Devil's Elbow Bridge at the Route 66 town of Devil's Elbow, Mo., here's a progress report courtesy of the Waynesville Daily Guide: Commissioner Bill Farnham had one item of good news on a major bridge project: he said a different type of material may be used … Continue reading Devil’s Elbow Bridge update
The Blue Dome’s Turkish connection
The Associated Press has a nice article about Tulsa's historic Art Deco architecture, which recently made the cover of Preservation magazine. But here's something I didn't know. The historic Blue Dome gas station, on an old alignment of Route 66 in downtown, was inspired by an ancient church in Turkey. Route 66 fans have architectural … Continue reading The Blue Dome’s Turkish connection
Signing project in Missouri proceeds
This story from the Carthage (Mo.) Press about a recent meeting of the Route 66 Association of Missouri had a few interesting news tidbits, including this one: In the association reports, President Tommy Pike told the group they were about three-quarters finished checking the locations for new signs marking Route 66 across the state. He … Continue reading Signing project in Missouri proceeds
Talking about motels
Route 66 author Michael Wallis preaches the gospel to the Tulsa World about some of the Mother Road's mom-and-pop motels. "You can still find motels on Route 66 where people care if you have enough blankets and covers and pillows," said Wallis, who has written several books that have documented the famous highway, including "Route … Continue reading Talking about motels
Notes from the road
There seems to be some activity at the long-abandoned old Route 66 town of Spencer, Mo. We heard from Gary Turner up the road at Gay Parita that someone has bought the town's handful of buildings and plans to revive it with a gift shop and maybe other things. When we drove by on Sunday … Continue reading Notes from the road
UPDATED: City will try to buy Red Cedar Inn
The Red Cedar Inn restaurant in Pacific, Mo., which closed a few years ago after more than 70 years on Route 66, eventually will reopen as a visitors center and area history museum, reports KTVI-TV in St. Louis. As expected, the City of Pacific voted unanimously Tuesday night to acquire the property. The city had … Continue reading UPDATED: City will try to buy Red Cedar Inn
A visit to Gay Parita
We travel the old alignment of Route 66 in west of Springfield, Mo., at least once a year. That stretch of the Mother Road is a joy to drive, but many of the old gas stations have fallen into ruin. But just a mile or so west of the spot where Missouri Highway 96 forks … Continue reading A visit to Gay Parita
Swa Frantzen wins top Route 66 award
Swa Frantzen (shown above), an Internet pioneer in publicizing Route 66 with his Historic66.com site, won the top honor during the Will Rogers Awards Event on Saturday night during the Route 66 Festival in Litchfield, Ill. The New Business of the Year was 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan. Chicago Route 66 researcher … Continue reading Swa Frantzen wins top Route 66 award