Weedpatch Camp, immortalized by John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath," recently held its 30th and last Dust Bowl Festival on the outskirts of Bakersfield, California. Simply put, the festival is being shut down because the survivors of that calamity have gotten too old to run it. A local television station did a preview about … Continue reading End of an era: Final Dust Bowl Festival held at Weedpatch Camp
Marketing study requested for planned Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque
A Bernalillo County commissioner asked for a marketing study for the proposed Route 66 Visitor Center planned for Albuquerque's west side before it breaks ground. According to the Albuquerque Journal: County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley recently introduced a resolution requiring that a third party consultant evaluate the “proposed uses for the Route 66 Visitors Center and … Continue reading Marketing study requested for planned Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque
Founder of Wrink’s Market honored by his hometown 14 years after his death
Glenn Wrinkle Sr., founder and operator of Wrink's Market along Route 66 from 1950 until his death in 2005, was given the Lebanon Community Achievement Award last week. The honor is given to those “whose lives and careers have had a major beneficial impact on the Laclede County Area." Wrinkle and four other honorees in … Continue reading Founder of Wrink’s Market honored by his hometown 14 years after his death
Restoration of Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park near Foyil should be done by fall 2020
A years-long restoration of Ed Galloway's historic Totem Pole Park near Foyil, Oklahoma, should be completed by fall 2020 and last a quarter-century or more. Park Director David Anderson and artist Erin Turner described the project that began in 2015 during a Claremore Collective panel discussion last week, reported the Claremore Daily Progress newspaper. Route … Continue reading Restoration of Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park near Foyil should be done by fall 2020
Book review: “Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America”
This book isn't your typical nostalgic road trip down Route 66. Instead, Jim Hinckley's "Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America" (paperback, 256 pages, Rio Nuevo Publishers, photographs) exists as a travelogue of the horrific wrecks, disasters, gangsters, race riots and mad-dog killers along even bucolic towns on Route 66. Subtitled "Tales from … Continue reading Book review: “Murder and Mayhem on the Main Street of America”
Longtime Route 66 advocate Jane Dippel dies
Longtime Route 66 fan and advocate Jane Dippel of the St. Louis area has died, according to officers with the Route 66 Association of Missouri and alumni at her old high school. According to a Facebook page devoted to graduates of Affton High School in the St. Louis suburb of Affton, Missouri, a celebration of … Continue reading Longtime Route 66 advocate Jane Dippel dies
Oklahoma Route 66 Association secures Bob Waldmire U-Haul, displays it at Chelsea tunnel
Thanks to the help of donations, the Oklahoma Route 66 Association secured the U-Haul truck painted by the late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire and is displaying it near the pedestrian underpass in Chelsea, Oklahoma. Association President Rhys Martin wrote in a blog post that Waldmire initially painted a detailed Route 66 map on one … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Association secures Bob Waldmire U-Haul, displays it at Chelsea tunnel
Route 66 Village Station opens in Tulsa
Local and state officials helped christen the opening of the Route 66 Village Station welcome center Wednesday in southwest Tulsa, modeled after a 1930s Phillips 66 gas station. The Improve Our Tulsa package, approved by voters in 2013, covered the $550,000 project at 3770 Southwest Blvd. (Route 66). The station is part of the Route … Continue reading Route 66 Village Station opens in Tulsa
Neon sign at Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge taken down for safekeeping
A collector of advertising, including neon signs, reported Wednesday the neon letters and other elements from the sign of the long-closed Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, had been removed, leaving nothing but stone frame and foundation. However, the president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri reported the sign was taken down "for its … Continue reading Neon sign at Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge taken down for safekeeping
Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump
One day after the bill was introduced, an Oklahoma state senator withdrew a proposal to rename a stretch of Route 66 as President Donald J. Trump Highway after the measure received widespread criticism from Route 66 fans and fellow lawmakers, including Trump's supporters. State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) said Wednesday he would withdraw the … Continue reading Oklahoma senator says he’ll withdraw bill to rename a part of Route 66 for Trump