The Tulsa Market District, anchored by the Mother Road Market near Lewis Avenue and 11th Street (aka Route 66), will undergo a major beautification project in the next year. According to Public Radio Tulsa, plans for the big face-lift include new water and sewer lines, traffic lights, traffic calming measures, dozens of trees and benches, … Continue reading Tulsa Market District will finish face-lift by next year
Gary Cron, creator of Route 66 Radio, dies at 72
Gary Cron, creator of Route 66 Radio and Baby Boomer Radio on the internet, died Tuesday, according to his daughter Ashley. Cron had been suffering from an extended illness. He was 72. Cron, known as "Dafogey" who lived in Wildwood, California, showed up at many Route 66 events and was a booster of the Mother … Continue reading Gary Cron, creator of Route 66 Radio, dies at 72
Decades of Wheels in Baxter Springs is for sale for $5 million
The Decades of Wheels complex in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been placed on the market with a Wichita real-estate firm for $5 million, barely two years after it opened. A local media outlet, the Spring River Current, helped break the story last month. "The hotel will remain open until sold but the rest of … Continue reading Decades of Wheels in Baxter Springs is for sale for $5 million
Threatt Filling Station wins grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Threatt Filling Station near Luther, Oklahoma, on Thursday was one of 40 recipients of $3 million in grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. This is what the National Trust wrote about the Route 66 station in a news release: Constructed c. 1915 and still family-owned, the … Continue reading Threatt Filling Station wins grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation
Louie Keen shows mockup for future neon sign wall at Uranus Missouri
Louie Keen, the self-proclaimed "mayor" of the Uranus Missouri near St. Robert, Missouri, recently posted an artist's rendering of a neon-sign wall planned for the complex. Keen stated on Facebook that "the wall will be painted and each of the objects on the wall are big neon pieces." "We believe this will be a huge … Continue reading Louie Keen shows mockup for future neon sign wall at Uranus Missouri
Big Boy locomotive will make several stops in Route 66 towns in Missouri, Oklahoma
The legendary Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive owned by the Union Pacific Railroad will make stops in several Route 66 towns in Oklahoma and Missouri in August during its 2021 tour. The Big Boy will make scheduled stops at these Mother Road cities: Aug. 12, Vinita, Oklahoma, at East Flint Avenue crossing; 9:45 a.m. … Continue reading Big Boy locomotive will make several stops in Route 66 towns in Missouri, Oklahoma
Springfield came within an eyelash of losing its Route 66 Mother Road Festival
The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois, will return in September for its 20th edition after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the event landing a new manager Reporting by the Springfield State Journal-Register indicates the city came close to losing the festival entirely after it had become a … Continue reading Springfield came within an eyelash of losing its Route 66 Mother Road Festival
First phase of Illinois Route 66 Experience coming next month to Illinois State Fair
One of the entrance gates of the Illinois State Fair will be the site of the first phase of the Illinois Route 66 Experience when the fair begins on Aug. 12. The attraction will be at Gate 2, which is at the corner of Sangamon Avenue and Ninth Street in Springfield. According to a news … Continue reading First phase of Illinois Route 66 Experience coming next month to Illinois State Fair
Birthplace of Route 66 Festival canceled due to COVID-19 upsurge
Next month's Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, was canceled Monday due to concerns about an upturn of COVID-19 cases in the region. The festival, which typically draws between 60,000 and 80,000 people, was axed for a second straight year because of the pandemic. It had been scheduled for Aug. 13-14, including a … Continue reading Birthplace of Route 66 Festival canceled due to COVID-19 upsurge
City of Santa Fe to repair historic railroad depot
After more than a decade of tentative plans, the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, recently agreed to spend $1 million to rehabilitate its long-decaying railroad depot in the Railyard. According to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, the city had been discussing a face-lift for the century-old depot since 2009. And … Continue reading City of Santa Fe to repair historic railroad depot