Volunteers give a fresh look to Allen’s Fillin’ Station in Commerce

After two weather-related delays, volunteers with the Oklahoma Route 66 Association on Saturday put a new coat of paint on the Allen's Fillin' Station in Commerce, Oklahoma. Here are before-and-after images and other photos of the historic gas station on an old alignment of Route 66 through town. The owner, Bobby Allen, posted more photos … Continue reading Volunteers give a fresh look to Allen’s Fillin’ Station in Commerce

Rooftop letters taken down from Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge

The large rooftop letters at the closed and increasingly dilapidated Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, were removed Monday and eventually will be displayed at the forthcoming museum and visitor center at the Red Cedar Inn in nearby Pacific, Missouri. Longtime Route 66 enthusiast Joe Sonderman posted photos on Facebook of workers removing the large … Continue reading Rooftop letters taken down from Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge

Memorial Hall in Joplin added to National Register of Historic Places

The nearly century-old Memorial Hall in Joplin, Missouri, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to a recent email from the National Park Service that administers the program. The listing was effective Oct. 7. Memorial Hall sits one block south of Seventh Street, aka Route 66, in the city. Memorial Hall … Continue reading Memorial Hall in Joplin added to National Register of Historic Places

Old State Capitol in Springfield reopens to tours

The Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where a young politician named Abraham Lincoln served in the state Legislature and delivered his "House Divided" speech, reopened to tours last week after months of interior renovations. The Associated Press reports exterior work on the Capitol's dome is continuing, but indoor work on plaster and painting was … Continue reading Old State Capitol in Springfield reopens to tours

London Bridge marks 50 years in Lake Havasu City

The relocated and reconstructed London Bridge today is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of that historic span in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. According to a recent newsletter of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the bridge reopened on Oct. 10, 1971, on the Colorado River. Lake Havasu City is about 30 miles … Continue reading London Bridge marks 50 years in Lake Havasu City

New owners get busy restoring landmark Phillips 66 cottage-style station in Chandler

The new owners of a Phillips 66 cottage-style gas station along Route 66 in Chandler, Oklahoma, have begun the restoration of the historic structure in earnest, including painstaking work on its multi-colored roof. Owners Shane and Sara Massie and others have posted photos on Facebook in the last two weeks of the work being done … Continue reading New owners get busy restoring landmark Phillips 66 cottage-style station in Chandler

Allen’s Fillin’ Station cleanup rescheduled again to Oct. 16

Try, try again. The volunteer cleanup day for the Allen's Fillin' Station site at 101 S. Main St. in Commerce, Oklahoma, has been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, after two previous attempts were canceled because of bad weather. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, announced the new date Sunday in … Continue reading Allen’s Fillin’ Station cleanup rescheduled again to Oct. 16

Gillioz Theatre in Springfield marks its 95th year

The Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield, Missouri, is marking its 95th anniversary its month, surviving all sorts of upheaval and trends, including COVID-19. According to the KY3 station in Springfield, coming through the pandemic was no small feat: Throughout the years, the theatre has survived the depression, World War II, and most recently the pandemic. … Continue reading Gillioz Theatre in Springfield marks its 95th year

Historic log home to be moved to Sappington House museum in Crestwood

A log home more than 200 years old in Affton, Missouri, soon will be disassembled, moved and reassembled at the Historic Thomas Sappington House Museum in nearby Crestwood, Missouri. The two-story Joseph Sappington house in Affton, Missouri. Moving the log house, once owned by Joseph Sappington, to the museum grounds at 1015 Sapplingtor Road was … Continue reading Historic log home to be moved to Sappington House museum in Crestwood

New owner of Carl’s Drive-In says he’s sticking with its old-school methods

The new owner of the historic Carl's Drive-In in Brentwood, Missouri, said in an interview he's staying old-fashioned in the restaurant's style, including reviving old recipes. David Kraemer, who purchased the Route 66 diner a few weeks ago from Mike Franklin, told the Riverfront Times of St. Louis about how he's reviving a method from … Continue reading New owner of Carl’s Drive-In says he’s sticking with its old-school methods