Author Susan Croce Kelly began her "Father of Route 66: Cy Avery" presentation during the Miles of Possibility Conference in Edwardsville, Illinois, by imagining what would have happened if Edwardsville hosted a good-roads conference 100 years ago. The city, which had about 5,000 residents, probably would have drawn a number of attendees well beyond the town's … Continue reading “Father of Route 66: Cy Avery”
Category: Sports
New mural installed at Joe Becker Stadium
A new mural that pays tribute to Route 66 and former Joplin baseball figures Joe Becker and Mickey Mantle went up a few days ago at the refurbished Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. The mural was funded by Leadership Joplin and created by several Missouri Southern State University students, according to KOAM-TV. The mural, … Continue reading New mural installed at Joe Becker Stadium
Bowling alley in Bloomington closes after 55 years
The AMF Circle Lanes bowling center near Route 66 in Bloomington, Illinois, closed Sunday after more than 55 years in business, according the Bloomington Pantagraph. Management didn't explain the closure, but told the newspaper a decision was made to shutter it after "a comprehensive analysis." Translation: The AMF Circle Lanes was another in a long line of … Continue reading Bowling alley in Bloomington closes after 55 years
Week-long Great Race begins Saturday
The annual Hemming Motor News Great Race begins Saturday in Kirkwood, Missouri, and will go down much of Route 66 to the end in Santa Monica, California, on June 28. The Springfield (Mo.) Convention and Visitors Bureau had some details about the event for cars made up to 1972: The cross-country rally is a timed, controlled-speed endurance … Continue reading Week-long Great Race begins Saturday
The new old Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin
Nearly two weeks ago, the Joplin Blasters professional baseball team played the home opener of its inaugural season at the renovated Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. Although the stadium's seating facilities are new after $4.7 million in work, the field itself is almost a century old and once hosted the Joplin Miners minor-league team … Continue reading The new old Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin
Woman eats three 72-ounce steak dinners in 20 minutes
Molly Schuyler, the 120-pound Nebraska woman who ate two 72-ounce steak dinners in one 15-minute sitting at Amarillo's Big Texan Steak Ranch a year ago, devoured three 72-ounce steak dinners in a mere 20 minutes Sunday afternoon and broke a record, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. The crowd cheered as Schuyler, a Nebraska native who … Continue reading Woman eats three 72-ounce steak dinners in 20 minutes
Japanese man plans to retrace Andy Payne’s Bunion Derby trek
A Japanese ultramarathon runner later this month plans to retrace Andy Payne's steps during the 1928 International Transcontinental Foot Race, better known as the Bunion Derby. Atsuyuki Katsuyama, a native of Japan who lives in Thailand, will begin the 3,400-mile trek from Los Angeles to New York City on April 25 and hopes to finish it in … Continue reading Japanese man plans to retrace Andy Payne’s Bunion Derby trek
Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down
The sign for the Aztec Motel, the only remainder of the historic Route 66 motel in Albuquerque that was torn down in 2011, was taken down Friday, according to several sources that included one eyewitness. The fate of the sign remains uncertain, although the city's Route 66 Action Plan mentions including it as part of a pocket … Continue reading Albuquerque’s Aztec Motel sign taken down
Look what the Rose Bowl looks like now
About 2 1/2 years ago, it was reported Route 66's distinctive Rose Bowl in Tulsa would become the new home of the One Hope Ministry's training center for at-risk youth. Its plans included a basketball court on one section and an artificial turf area on the other. This week, the Fox23 television station in Tulsa provided an update … Continue reading Look what the Rose Bowl looks like now
Pontiac lands another museum
The Route 66 town of Pontiac, Illinois, has gained another museum to its bulging portfolio -- one that's dedicated to basketball in the the Land of Lincoln that's scheduled to open by summer 2016. According to the Bloomington Pantagraph, the Basketball Museum of Illinois, run by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, will be built inside … Continue reading Pontiac lands another museum