The city administrator of Lebanon, Missouri, suggested to the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society it form a community improvement district to collect taxes for promotion and preservation of Route 66. The city also is gathering pricing proposals for signs to name Lebanon's Elm Street as "Historic Route 66." City administrator Mike Schumacher made several suggestions about funding … Continue reading Lebanon considers community improvement district for Route 66
Category: Towns
Rockin’ Route 66 replaces Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari
A new organization announced a Rockin' Route 66 rockabilly-themed festival in June 2019 in Tucumcari, New Mexico -- two years after the town's Rockabilly on the Route event went on hiatus. Representatives from Garage 71 and Grease Inc. made the announcement in late June about the new festival, but news of it surfaced on Facebook this … Continue reading Rockin’ Route 66 replaces Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari
Joliet may use $50,000 for old prison, reopen this month
The city of Joliet, Illinois, proposed an allocation of $50,000 to the Joliet Area Historical Museum to help cover expenses in reopening the historic Joliet prison. If funding goes through as expected, Greg Peerbolte, the museum's executive director, said it could start tours inside the old Joliet Correctional Center later this month. The Herald-News reported: The … Continue reading Joliet may use $50,000 for old prison, reopen this month
Amtrak may end service in northern New Mexico
Amtrak may end service of its fabled Southwest Chief train from Dodge City, Kansas, to Albuquerque -- affecting a slew of towns in northern New Mexico. Instead, the 450-mile gap in the route would be covered by buses. One of several Route communities that would be affected by the removal of passenger-train service is Las … Continue reading Amtrak may end service in northern New Mexico
Should Airbnb sites on Route 66 undergo more regulation?
While Airbnb has been controversial in larger cities for years, the use of people's homes for overnight lodging is being cussed and discussed in smaller cities -- including those on Route 66. WGLT, a public radio station at Illinois State University, recently dived into the issue and the case of Kevin Lewis' 103-year-old house in … Continue reading Should Airbnb sites on Route 66 undergo more regulation?
Kearney Street project in Springfield being watched closely
A plan to declare the Kearney Street corridor in Springfield, Missouri, as a blighted area and redevelop it using tax breaks and low-interest loans is attracting a lot of attention from retailers, bankers and bankers. Kearney Street remains a prominent Route 66 alignment once known as a car-cruising Mecca during the 1970s and ’80s -- … Continue reading Kearney Street project in Springfield being watched closely
Los Lunas lands grant to design Route 66 museum
The village of Los Lunas, New Mexico, received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help design and plan a Route 66 museum and visitors center. The Valencia County News-Bulletin reports the village will work with the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning on the project. The grant … Continue reading Los Lunas lands grant to design Route 66 museum
A Route 66 tale of two cities
A story in The Conversation website, titled "Could New Legislation Lead to a Route 66 Economic Revival?" by Arizona State University historian and grad student Daniel Milowksi has attracted a lot of attention, especially since it was picked up by the Associated Press. In it, Milowski examines the history of Route 66 and how a … Continue reading A Route 66 tale of two cities
Music documentary about Springfield premieres this week
"The Center of Nowhere," a full-length documentary produced by roadie Dave Hoekstra about the rich musical history of Springfield, Missouri, will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fox Theatre in downtown Springfield. Hoekstra, a former writer at the Chicago Sun-Times who's traveled and written about Route 66 extensively, told Ozarks Alive that Springfield's central location, relative … Continue reading Music documentary about Springfield premieres this week
Route 66 neon sign park in Tulsa planned for late 2019
The Route 66 Commission in Tulsa announced Wednesday a small neon-sign park is planned on the southwest side of Avery Centennial Plaza, also known as the historic 11th Street Bridge that once carried Route 66. In a Facebook post late Wednesday, the commission stated it would install three re-created neon signs in Tulsa that were … Continue reading Route 66 neon sign park in Tulsa planned for late 2019