A man from Luther, Oklahoma, who built a labyrinth made of thousands of abandoned bricks from old Route 66 wants to eventually turn the site into a tourist attraction, including as a wedding venue. Brent Byrd, who owns a barber shop in nearby Arcadia, Oklahoma, learned about a year ago about the orphaned bricks from … Continue reading Luther man wants to turn labyrinth of Route 66 bricks into tourist attraction
Category: Preservation
Nonprofit group has a plan to buy, renovate Brookshire Motel
A Tulsa-based nonprofit organization wants to buy and redevelop the closed and fire-damaged Brookshire Motel into a gift shop, sandwich shop, farmers market, offices and classrooms. The Oklahoma Family Empowerment Center Project aims "to empower individuals, strengthen families, help couples, enhance parenting skills, bring recovery to those struggling with an addiction, assist returning citizens after … Continue reading Nonprofit group has a plan to buy, renovate Brookshire Motel
Teenager buys historic gas station, will move it next to historic gas station in Miami
A teenage entrepreneur recently acquired a historic gas station in Miami, Oklahoma, he eventually will move to a better-known historic Route 66 gas station in Miami. Eli Chenoweth, 19, who owns and operates The Frozen Elephant snow-cone shop on Route 66 in Miami, several months ago bought the Miami Marathon Oil Service Station on Route … Continue reading Teenager buys historic gas station, will move it next to historic gas station in Miami
Gasconade River Bridge rehab costs estimated at $2.5 million
An engineering firm estimated it would cost at least $2.5 million to rehabilitate the closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri. Sparks Engineering of San Antonio issued a 16-page structural evaluation of the historic Route 66 bridge, which has been closed since December 2014. The Missouri Department of Transportation has stated it would tear down … Continue reading Gasconade River Bridge rehab costs estimated at $2.5 million
Station 66 owner opens Vega Motel residence as Airbnb
The owner of the acclaimed Station 66 Airbnb site in Vega, Texas, opened the residence of the Vega Motel in town to overnight travelers, as well. The Facebook page for the closed Route 66 motel made the announcement Thursday, calling it The Lucky Horseshoe @ Vega Motel. Here's the listing on the Airbnb site itself: … Continue reading Station 66 owner opens Vega Motel residence as Airbnb
Formosa Cafe officially reopens June 28 after two years of renovations
The historic and celebrity-laden Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood, California, officially will reopen June 28 after two years and $2.4 million worth of renovations. The Hollywood Reporter reports the revamp will "make it look almost exactly the same" from before its closing. More from the exclusive report, which included a sneak peek of the interior: … Continue reading Formosa Cafe officially reopens June 28 after two years of renovations
Restored Camp Joy cabin dedicated at Lebanon Park
The last surviving cabin of Camp Joy was dedicated Saturday at Boswell Park in Lebanon, Missouri, during the Lebanon Route 66 Festival. Volunteers spent four months restoring the cabin, which once stood in the long-gone Camp Joy complex along a fledgling Route 66 in Lebanon. The Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society website posted some details … Continue reading Restored Camp Joy cabin dedicated at Lebanon Park
Markley Shovel, a predecessor to Big Brutus, is dedicated
A century-old coal-mining shovel that served as a much-smaller predecessor of the Big Brutus shovel was dedicated Saturday at the Big Brutus Visitors Center in West Mineral, Kansas. According to an Associated Press article, Perry Markley designed and built by hand the smaller shovel in the early 1900s using junkyard parts. The machine was one … Continue reading Markley Shovel, a predecessor to Big Brutus, is dedicated
Big jackrabbit restored at Jack Rabbit Trading Post
The big jackrabbit at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post near Joseph City, Arizona, recently was reinstalled after about a one-week restoration effort. Here's a "before" photo of the fiberglass giant: And here's an "after" image of the giant animal: Co-owner Cindy Jaquez said the 34-year-old jackrabbit needed a new coat of paint and badly needed … Continue reading Big jackrabbit restored at Jack Rabbit Trading Post
Restoration complete on Muffler Man lumberjack in Albuquerque
Restoration on a Muffler Man lumberjack on the premises of a Vietnamese restaurant in Albuquerque finished a few days ago, including the statue's severed arms and his ax. Repair work on the fiberglass statue at the May Cafe at Central Avenue (aka Route 66) and Louisiana Boulevard began a couple of weeks ago. Strong winds … Continue reading Restoration complete on Muffler Man lumberjack in Albuquerque