A local developer with experience in reviving old buildings has purchased the former County Line Barbecue site, also known for years as the Oklahoma Prohibition-era Kentucky Club, in Oklahoma City. The site sits just off the Interstate 44 alignment of Route 66 from the 1950s to the 1980s. It also is a short distance from … Continue reading Local developer wants to restore the former site of County Line Barbecue in Oklahoma City
Category: Preservation
Americana Motor Hotel in Flagstaff to reopen in late spring after extensive retro renovations
The once-declining Americana Motor Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, is slated to reopen in late spring after extensive renovations and a rebranding by Practice Hospitality. A news release a few days ago contained some details about the motel: RETRO-FUTURISTIC DESIGN: Designed by Andrew Alford, former Chief Creative Officer of Graduate Hotels, the reimagined Americana Motor Hotel draws inspiration from … Continue reading Americana Motor Hotel in Flagstaff to reopen in late spring after extensive retro renovations
Hill Top Motel in Kingman is up for sale for $2.87 million
The historic Hill Top Motel in Kingman, Arizona, has been put on the market for $2.87 million after the property went through renovations several years ago. Re/Max Prestige Properties newly listed the Route 66 motel, built at 1901 E. Andy Devine Ave. in the mid-1950s by John Mescheid. Here's the description of the property: Great … Continue reading Hill Top Motel in Kingman is up for sale for $2.87 million
About 200 attend relighting of neon sign of Hi-Way Cafe near Vinita
Approximately 200 gathered Saturday evening to view a relighting ceremony for the neon sign of the Hi-Way Cafe near Vinita, Oklahoma. It was the first time in about 30 years the sign experienced a glow from its neon tubing. Tom Schwartz, who built the Route 66 restaurant and its sign in 1963, threw the switch … Continue reading About 200 attend relighting of neon sign of Hi-Way Cafe near Vinita
Carthage city panel votes to tear down historic baseball stadium
The Carthage, Missouri, City Council Public Services Committee reluctantly decided recently to demolish the historic Carl Lewton Stadium, also known as The Rock, after contractors determined that saving it wasn't feasible. According to reporting by the Joplin Globe, the rock-facade stadium was built as a Works Progress Administration project in 1937 and was the home … Continue reading Carthage city panel votes to tear down historic baseball stadium
Neon signs from Westward Hotel of St. Louis installed at Transportation Museum
Restored neon signs from the long-defunct Westward Hotel in St. Louis recently were installed in the National Museum of Transportation. A brief video of the signs was posted on the Tumblr account of museum director Terri McEachern. A screenshot: The installation is inside the Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center. The Westward Hotel, which operated from … Continue reading Neon signs from Westward Hotel of St. Louis installed at Transportation Museum
City of Carthage loses lawsuit over the repair of its historic bridges
An appeals court in St. Louis ruled against the City of Carthage, Missouri, in its effort to get a railroad to repair its historic bridges, including the famous Oak Street Bridge (aka Whee Bridge) that carries Route 66. A three-judge panel with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that … Continue reading City of Carthage loses lawsuit over the repair of its historic bridges
Route 66 Interpretive Center in Edwardsville likely will be open by summer
The new Route 66 Interpretive Center, located in a former gas station in Edwardsville, Illinois, will be open to the public by late spring or summer once remodeling for the project is finished. The building at St. Louis and West streets (aka Route 66) also once served as a dental office. Last summer, Great Rivers … Continue reading Route 66 Interpretive Center in Edwardsville likely will be open by summer
Local tribe closes Grand Falls site northeast of Flagstaff
Grand Falls, also known as Chocolate Falls or Adah’iilíní, became a popular tourist site because of its spectacular waterfalls during monsoon or snowpack-melt seasons. It sits less than an hour's drive from downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. It's open to tourists no longer. According to the Arizona Daily Sun, residents of the Leupp Chapter of the Navajo … Continue reading Local tribe closes Grand Falls site northeast of Flagstaff
Tee Pee Drive-In theater in Sapulpa to hold its soft reopening in early April
The rejuvenated Tee Pee Drive-In theater on the west side of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, will hold a soft reopening in early April, with a full reopening by mid-April. The Sapulpa Herald, citing sources close to the company that owns the once-moribund venue, got the scoop on the theater, which would have its first season in almost … Continue reading Tee Pee Drive-In theater in Sapulpa to hold its soft reopening in early April