Los Angeles Downtown News Online has posted a long story about the city's attempts to revitalize the historic Broadway district, part of which is old Route 66. Many similar efforts have failed. But because the downtown area is gaining more residents, there's some urgency and hope that a Broadway revival will be for real. For … Continue reading Bringing back Broadway
Category: Preservation
Induction day
The Pontiac (Ill.) Daily Leader was there Wednesday when Betty Estes was inducted into the Illinois Seniors Hall of Fame. She's been a major Route 66 booster in the Pontiac region. Asked what she was most proud of in her work with the city of Pontiac, Estes said it would have to be the Route … Continue reading Induction day
Progress report on The Mill
The Bloomington Pantagraph gave what amounts to a progress report on the restoration of The Mill in Lincoln, Ill. The circa-1929 bar and restaurant on Route 66 is getting a face-lift after years of neglect. Tidbits from the story: Local organizers seek to have it reopened as a museum in 2009. Contributions of time and … Continue reading Progress report on The Mill
Old-time motels hang on
Lara Hartley of the Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press takes a look at several good, vintage motels on Route 66 in the area, including the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, the Route 66 Motel in Barstow, and the Downtown Motel in Barstow. And for those of you who are looking for such properties to buy, the Route … Continue reading Old-time motels hang on
Route 66 bridge near Galena needs repairs
The Front Street Bridge, which carries an old alignment of Route 66 into downtown Galena, Kan., was recently downgraded in its load limit from 20 to 10 tons. I was told the weight limit on the bridge, which essentially is a railroad overpass, was dropped because of problems with one of the support pillars. Last … Continue reading Route 66 bridge near Galena needs repairs
Adopt a brick, help the Triangle Motel
The folks who are trying to renovate the previously long-neglected Triangle Motel on Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, have launched a new fundraiser. You can adopt a brick on the motel complex's south wall on Triangle Drive, which is an older alignment of Route 66, for $15 apiece. Certificates will be mailed to adoptees. Proceeds … Continue reading Adopt a brick, help the Triangle Motel
Officials eye reuse of abandoned gas stations
The Joplin (Mo.) Globe reports that federal EPA and state officials are looking at ways to reuse abandoned gas stations along Route 66 into productive businesses. The discussion took place in Galena, Kan. Doyle said a survey found 45 abandoned gas stations along Route 66 from St. Louis, Mo., to Baxter Springs. He said there … Continue reading Officials eye reuse of abandoned gas stations
One from the archives
This is a news-station story from 2004 about Irv's Burgers on Santa Monica Boulevard (aka Route 66) in West Hollywood, Calif. At the time, Irv's was endangered by development. But customers and preservationists banded together to give it historic landmark status and protection. Irv's Burgers has its own Web site here.
Grand opening for Route 66 Visitors Center
I was pressed for time, but I managed to stick around for about an hour or so to shoot pictures the grand opening Saturday of the new Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center in Baxter Springs. The visitors center is located at 10th and Military (aka Route 66). It's housed in a 1930 gas station that … Continue reading Grand opening for Route 66 Visitors Center
Have you slept in a Wigwam lately?
Jillian Sim of American Heritage stays overnight at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Ariz., and tells about it. Sim neglects to mention of another teepee-shaped motel on Route 66 -- the recently restored Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif.