A fire sparked accidentally by maintenance work on Tuesday destroyed the 19-foot-tall Frecs the Miner statue along Route 66 in Galena, Kansas. Renee Charles, president of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association, stated in a Facebook post that sparks during repair work on the statue's arm fell inside the structure and set it ablaze. Undeterred, … Continue reading Accidental fire destroys Frecs the Miner statue in Galena
Category: Route 66 Associations
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway soon will publish a special-edition magazine
The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway recently announced it was about to publish its first-ever magazine, Illinois Route 66 Special Edition. The byway also will publish a 2022 Illinois Route 66 Visitor Guide. The cover of the magazine, as you can see above, features the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway soon will publish a special-edition magazine
Longtime Illinois Route 66 advocate Marty Blitstein dies
Marty Blitstein, a longtime officer with the Route 66 Association of Illinois, died in a hospice Sunday after a short illness. He was 80. The association's website announced his death this week. It described his effects on the organization: Among the highlights were revitalizing its membership and Treasury. He collaborated with Betty Estes to facilitate the moving of … Continue reading Longtime Illinois Route 66 advocate Marty Blitstein dies
Yet another neon sign erected along Tulsa’s Route 66 corridor
Tulsa Time Dental Design at East 11th Street (aka Route 66) and New Haven Avenue was the latest beneficiary of the city's Route 66 neon sign grant program. The Tulsa Route 66 Commission posted an image of the new neon sign a few days ago: Dennis Whitaker, who is part of the city's planning office, … Continue reading Yet another neon sign erected along Tulsa’s Route 66 corridor
Lebanon Parks moves forward with a feasibility study on moving parts of Gasconade River Bridge
The Lebanon (Missouri) Parks Department officially is moving forward with a feasibility study to see whether it can move part of Route 66's endangered Gasconade River Bridge to Boswell Park, though it remains unclear whether the span will be torn down. According to a report by KRMS radio, the cost to move the bridge isn’t … Continue reading Lebanon Parks moves forward with a feasibility study on moving parts of Gasconade River Bridge
Key organization launches Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, along with the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, a few days ago announced they are launching a Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program as part of the highway's centennial celebrations culminating in 2026. According to a news release from the partnership: The Road Ahead was awarded a $250,000 grant … Continue reading Key organization launches Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program
Part of Gasconade River Bridge may be moved to Boswell Park in Lebanon
The park board of Lebanon, Missouri, is considering a feasibility study of whether a portion of the closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen can be moved to Boswell Park, though the future of the Route 66 span continues to remain unclear. The Laclede County Record reported in its latest edition (subscription required) that Lebanon parks … Continue reading Part of Gasconade River Bridge may be moved to Boswell Park in Lebanon
Desecration of petroglyphs probably means La Bajada access won’t be reopened anytime soon
Don't anticipate the primitive La Bajada Hill alignment of Route 66 southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to be reopened to off-roaders or hikers anytime soon. A pueblo group recently accused the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of not doing enough to protect sacred sites in the Caja del Rio Plateau area (aka La Bajada) … Continue reading Desecration of petroglyphs probably means La Bajada access won’t be reopened anytime soon
Cost-share grant season opens for Route 66 Corrodor Preservation Program
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced Wednesday the season for its annual cost-share grant program has opened. "Grants can assist with preservation planning, National Register nominations, preservation and rehabilitation work on eligible historic sites, and/or research and educational outreach initiatives," said program director Kaisa Barthuli. Last year, the program awarded about $103,000 worth of … Continue reading Cost-share grant season opens for Route 66 Corrodor Preservation Program
Native-owned Southwest Trading Company opens on Route 66 in Tulsa
Southwest Trading Company opened a few weeks ago along the 11th Street alignment of Route 66 that not only sells Native American-made goods, but is owned by a father-and-daughter team with Native heritage. MVSKOKEMedia recently published a profile on owners David Bible and daughter Ashley, citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) tribe in Oklahoma and of … Continue reading Native-owned Southwest Trading Company opens on Route 66 in Tulsa