In the few weeks, KRPS, a public radio station in Pittsburg, Kan., produced a series of short stories about Route 66 in eastern Oklahoma. You can hear them here. The Hogue House, a Sears home, in Chelsea, Okla. [audio https://www.krps.org/archive/r66-7.mp3] Afton Station in Afton, Okla. [audio https://www.krps.org/archive/r66-6.mp3] Totem Pole Park near Foyil, Okla. [audio https://www.krps.org/archive/r66-4.mp3] Hammett House restaurant … Continue reading Radio series explores eastern Oklahoma’s Mother Road
Longtime owner of Truxton motel and cafe dies
Mildred Barker, longtime co-owner of the Truxton Cafe and Frontier Motel in the Route 66 hamlet of Truxton, Ariz., died Thursday at age 87, according to an obituary today in the Kingman Daily Miner. Ray and Mildred Barker purchased the Truxton cafe and its attached motel in 1957. She and her husband were born in … Continue reading Longtime owner of Truxton motel and cafe dies
To & From the Mother Road
If you've got some time to kill, I recommend you sit back and peruse this online issue of To & From magazine, which devoted a special issue to Route 66. You can flip the pages right here, and enlarge them as well: [issuu width=420 height=272 embedBackground=%23000000 backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120805235656-d79333313e634ae18d3b353453ca7e88 name=route66_toandfrommagazine username=toandfrommag tag=mother%20road unit=px v=2] Diana Nguyen, … Continue reading To & From the Mother Road
A music video for a festival
The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau of Springfield, Mo., put together this music video about the upcoming Birthplace of Route 66 Festival. Most of the images come from Route 66 in Springfield or the surrounding area. The music, "The Middle of Everywhere," is by The Road Crew, which has recorded a lot of tunes that … Continue reading A music video for a festival
Remembering Ernie
The Ernie and Fran Edwards Route 66 International Appreciation Day was Sunday at the old Pig Hip restaurant site in Broadwell, Ill. Here's a photo taken by Logan County Tourism from the event. That's Fran Edwards, 90-year-old widow of the recently deceased Ernie Edwards, cutting the ribbon with a big pair of scissors at the dedication … Continue reading Remembering Ernie
A tour of the Wigwam Motel’s lobby
Kumar Patel, operator of the Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif., shows the souvenirs, memorabilia, and artifacts that are displayed in the lobby of his historic Route 66 motel: https://youtu.be/GwEhy19cXkQ The old photos of the wigwams when they were being built in the late 1940s are especially fascinating.
An early image of La Bajada Hill
Take a look at the above photo. It's a photograph of a circa-1922 Dodge Bros. Touring Car at La Bajada Hill, southwest of Santa Fe, N.M. Date of the image is unknown, but likely before Route 66 was certified in 1926. The back of the photo read: Ma and Dad. This is at the top … Continue reading An early image of La Bajada Hill
Several Scenic Byways grants go to Route 66
About 125 grants from the National Scenic Byways Program were announced Thursday, with several of them going to Route 66 projects. The following is a Route 66-related list of the grant award, where it's going, and a description from the Federal Highway Administration of its purpose: --- $267,038, Kingman, Ariz., Historic Route 66 Kingman Pedestrian Crossing … Continue reading Several Scenic Byways grants go to Route 66
Wildfires wreck havoc in central Oklahoma
Fueled by winds, extreme heat and extreme drought, wildfires in central Oklahoma on Friday caused the partial evacuation of two Route 66 towns and forced officials to close a major interstate highway, according to The Oklahoman newspaper. On Friday evening, residents of Luther were being evacuated after a grass fire burned near Turner Turnpike and Luther … Continue reading Wildfires wreck havoc in central Oklahoma
Low river exposes remnants of Springfield mill
The low water level of the Sangamon River has exposed what is likely the foundation of Carpenter's Mill, which operated in the mid-1800s on the north side of Springfield, Ill., reported The State Journal-Register. The location is near the Business 55 Bridge, also is Route 66. The newspaper reported: The mill operated between 1830 and … Continue reading Low river exposes remnants of Springfield mill