And so it begins …

... the destruction of the historic Harvey House in Seligman, Ariz. As you can see from this submitted photo, workers began tearing the roof down this week. UPDATE: Don Gray has more photos of the demolition here.

Final days

A couple of readers have submitted photos of the dismantling work being done on the Harvey House in Seligman, Ariz., before its final demolition later this month. Here, you can see workers removing the historic roof tiles: According to Dan Lutzick, who is overseeing the rehabilitation of another Harvey House in Needles, Calif.: The supervisor … Continue reading Final days

Rail and road attractions

The Victorville (Calif.) Daily Press published a feature called Sunday Drive, for folks who want explore the high desert without shelling out a lot for gasoline. This one focuses a lot on the Harvey House in Barstow (which houses the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum) and another restored railroad station in the settlement of … Continue reading Rail and road attractions

Death warrant for Seligman Harvey House

Donald Gray, who's been trying to save the historic Harvey House in Seligman, Ariz., from the wrecking ball, reported Tuesday that negotiations to buy or move the property broke down and that the structure will be razed within three weeks. Gray said he confirmed the bad news through Lena Kent, who is regional public affairs … Continue reading Death warrant for Seligman Harvey House

Dog’s grave marker moved to Route 66 museum

A grave marker for Brownie, a dog at the Victorville, Calif., railroad depot that greeted soldiers coming home from World War II, will be moved to the California Route 66 Museum, reports the Victorville Daily Press. The marker is being moved because Forrest Park, where it sits, is being torn down. Brownie apparently was a … Continue reading Dog’s grave marker moved to Route 66 museum

Report on the Havasu Hotel

Cronkite News Service in Arizona has a report about residents' efforts to save the Havasu Hotel in Seligman from the wrecking ball. It was a Harvey House for many years until it closed decades ago. Most of the story treads over familiar ground, except for this new twist: Frank Kocevar, owner of Seligman Sundries, a … Continue reading Report on the Havasu Hotel

Save the Havasu!

For a number of weeks, I'd heard rumors that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway was planning to tear down the Havasu, a historic Harvey House railroad station, in the Route 66 town of Seligman, Ariz. I'd tried to get BNSF officials to confirm or deny it, to no avail. Today, BNSF media contact Lena Kent … Continue reading Save the Havasu!

Tulsa project wins grant for observation deck

About $400,000 in Oklahoma Centennial funds will be used to help build the Red Fork Derrick observation deck at the Route 66 Station park in west Tulsa, reports the Tulsa World. The replica of the Tulsa County's first oil well will reportedly be as high at 150 feet tall. However, other reports indicate it will … Continue reading Tulsa project wins grant for observation deck

Jewel of the Southwest

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch this weekend had an article about the history and rebirth of La Posada, a former Harvey House, on Route 66 in Winslow, Ariz. Even though it's been a major attraction for several years, owner Alan Affeldt isn't done. He's undertaking a landscaping project at La Posada that will cost about a … Continue reading Jewel of the Southwest

Saving Old Two Spot

The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff tells about how Malcolm Mackey and others saved a 1911 steam engine locomotive, nicknamed Old Two Spot, that now sits at the town's historic railroad depot. "It was kind of the town mascot because it had a whistle that was recognizable," said Mackey, 80, who still lives in the … Continue reading Saving Old Two Spot