It appears a wee bit of controversy has hit the Mother Road in the form of a billboard in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. From the Los Angeles Times: A group that promotes separation of church and state filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Rancho Cucamonga after a billboard on Route 66 that read "Imagine … Continue reading Imagine an ill-advised lawsuit
Category: Signs
More 66 signs in Southern California
Bob Lundy, a Route 66er, sent me a copy of a Rialto (Calif.) Record article about the San Bernardino County Tourism group and its efforts to promote Route 66. The article dealt with the third annual Taste of Route 66 tour. One of the tour's aspects was to promote signs the group created, which "combine … Continue reading More 66 signs in Southern California
A look at Motel Safari’s upcoming sign
Richard Talley, owner of the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, N.M., sent me a draft of his new neon sign that will go up in a few months. Talley wrote: The final version, will have some slight modifications or changes to it, but kept as a closely guarded secret, until completed and a surprise for everyone! … Continue reading A look at Motel Safari’s upcoming sign
Rialto Square’s sign restored
Although the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Ill., has been restored and operating for years, its sign was fully refurbished only this week, reports the Joliet Herald News. On Wednesday, a sign crew installed the name "Rubens" above the vertical "Rialto" on the lighted, brown marquee. "It's listed in the National Register of Historical Places … Continue reading Rialto Square’s sign restored
Missouri association starts a blog
The Route 66 Association of Missouri has started a blog. Webmaster Carolyn Hasenfratz said she created the site to get important or fast-breaking news on the Internet more quickly. And the blog began auspiciously, with a photo of restored neon sign of the Donut Drive-In in St. Louis. Apparently the sign had been dark for … Continue reading Missouri association starts a blog
Notes from the road
I overlooked this story a few weeks ago, but the neon Route 66 sign at Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa was damaged by a thief or vandal. The sign has been taken down for repairs and will be re-erected when it's completed. --- Season 3 of the original "Route 66" television series will be … Continue reading Notes from the road
Notes from the Preservation Conference
I attended a couple of Route 66-related seminars and took a stroll in the exhibition hall on Wednesday during the National Preservation Conference at the Tulsa Convention Center in Tulsa. Here are a few news items that should be of interest to roadies: -- I ran into Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurants … Continue reading Notes from the Preservation Conference
Route 66 Corridor Program grant recipients announced
Here's the list of recipients of 2008 cost-share grants from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program: The Mill Restaurant rehabilitation, Lincoln, Ill., $10,000 from the National Park Service, $28,000 match Donut Drive-In, St. Louis, neon sign restoration, $9,875 NPS, $10,925 match Devil's Elbow Bridge, Devil's Elbow, Mo., emergency stabilization, $8,000 NPS, $22,000 match Front Street … Continue reading Route 66 Corridor Program grant recipients announced
The approach to Odell
Here's a video that shows the approach to Odell, Ill., on old Route 66. I didn't know the locals had installed some Burma Shave-style signs there. The second part of the video is the town's restored Odell Station, including a look at all the old automotive equipment inside.
Neon signs — an endangered species
USA Today has an excellent article about endangered neon signs (many of them on old Route 66) and preservationists' efforts to rescue or restore them. An interesting passage here: Neon fell out of favor in the 1960s and 1970s when urban renewal was a priority and zoning regulations often banned new neon signs. When businesses … Continue reading Neon signs — an endangered species