The historic Bent Door along old Route 66 in Adrian, Texas, has been closed for years. However, a couple purchased the property on July 21, and they say they're committed to reopening it as a diner / malt shop again. Linda Drake of the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce helped put me in touch with … Continue reading Bent Door will become a diner again
Category: Preservation
Mark your calendars
A work day has been set to help owner Alan McNeil rehab the long-shuttered Triangle Motel in Amarillo, Texas. The work day is Saturday, Aug. 19, with work beginning between 7 and 7:30 a.m. You'll not only be doing a good deed, but you'll be able to see a historic property up close. The motel … Continue reading Mark your calendars
Library to occupy historical building
A library branch in Strafford, Mo., is set to move into the old MFA Feed Store at Pine and Madison streets, and the library will have a Route 66 theme, reports the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. Strafford native Mac Whitmore, along with a partner, was motivated to acquire the 145-year-old building. "This is an old building … Continue reading Library to occupy historical building
Restaurant inspired by Lucille’s to open next month
The Associated Press is reporting that a restaurant inspired by Lucille's in Hydro, Okla., will open in nearby Weatherford in August. Rick Koch, owner of the soon-to-open business, told me last week that Lucille's Roadhouse has a tentative opening date of Aug. 1. It was going to open late July, but he said they had … Continue reading Restaurant inspired by Lucille’s to open next month
Reunited and it feels so good
Here's a neat story by the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph from the Rock 'N Rods on Route 66 festival this weekend. A fellow who restored a 1950 Buick Sedanette (here's what one looks like) in the 1970s but hadn't seen the car for 35 years was reunited with it Saturday. Go read about it here.
A new preservation target — barns
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that a group called the Illinois Barn Alliance is trying to preserve what's left of the state's historic barns. The group is encountering two problems. One, it's not sure how many old barns are even left in Illinois. Second, farmers tend to be a practical lot and often tear … Continue reading A new preservation target — barns
Triangle Motel update
The folks who are restoring the Triangle Motel on old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, hope to have electricity restored to the long-closed motel by the weekend. After that, new owner Alan McNeil and volunteers should be able to remove the rest of the contents from the rooms that were previously used for storage. McNeil … Continue reading Triangle Motel update
More meetings like this are needed
The Lincoln (Ill.) Courier has an article about a panel discussion concerning Route 66 in Lincoln and Illinois in general. Attending were representatives from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project. The Courier reported: The three women on Wednesday's panel explained that it's important for Route … Continue reading More meetings like this are needed
Apache Motel in Tucumcari being rehabbed
The Apache Motel, a closed and declining motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, N.M., recently was purchased by an Oklahoma group and is being rehabbed, according to someone I talked to at Truesdell Real Estate. The Apache, which had the rock-bottom price of $59,500, had been under contract for several weeks. One Route 66 News … Continue reading Apache Motel in Tucumcari being rehabbed
Tucumcari theater nominated for National Register
The Odeon Theatre of Tucumcari, N.M., which is just a few blocks north of Route 66, has been one of six theaters in New Mexico nominated to the State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Quay County Sun. In his nomination of the theater, historian David Kammer … Continue reading Tucumcari theater nominated for National Register