Restoration of Boots Court architectural neon to begin soon

Repairs to the hail-damaged architectural neon lighting at the Boots Court motel in Carthage, Missouri, will begin by mid-July after Route 66 enthusiasts donated more than $4,100 for the project. Ron Hart of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce on Friday presented a check for $4,113.41, representing the proceeds of a GoFundMe campaign after a … Continue reading Restoration of Boots Court architectural neon to begin soon

Fundraising goal met to fix Boots Court’s hail-damaged neon

Only five days after it launched, a GoFundMe campaign to repair architectural neon lighting at the Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, met its goal of $4,000. That was the estimated cost to fix the neon, which was damaged by a severe hailstorm last week, with some stones measuring 2 inches in diameter. As of early Tuesday, … Continue reading Fundraising goal met to fix Boots Court’s hail-damaged neon

Architectural neon for Boots Court relighted

The Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, on Saturday night officially relighted the architectural neon of the Route 66 motel that had gone dark for about 15 years. An estimated 200 people attended the event. Here is a video from Jessica Davis of the countdown before the switch for the neon for Boots Court was flicked on: https://www.facebook.com/100004570088249/videos/618744481621216/ The … Continue reading Architectural neon for Boots Court relighted

Boots Court neon relighting set for April 9

The architectural neon lighting of the historic Boots Court, which has been absent for more than a decade, will be formally relighted the evening of Saturday, April 9, at the Route 66 landmark in Carthage, Missouri. The Route 66 Association of Missouri said in a news release the festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with entertainment … Continue reading Boots Court neon relighting set for April 9

2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced

The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced four cost-share grants totaling more than $97,000 for 2015. Boots Court architectural neon restoration, Carthage, Missouri, $20,000 grant, $20,565 match: Built in 1939, the Boots Court Motel is an outstanding example of a mom-and-pop motor court built in the Streamline Moderne style. Once threatened with demolition, the owners … Continue reading 2015 cost-share grants for Route 66 announced

Chinese crew shooting film about Route 66

A film crew from China stopped at the Boots Motel in Carthage, Missouri, and other Route 66 sites to shoot a movie that will be screened next year, reported the Joplin Globe. According to the newspaper, other filming sites included the Grand Canyon and Yellowhorse Trading Post at the New Mexico-Arizona border. Crews with JAJ … Continue reading Chinese crew shooting film about Route 66

Strike up the Band-Box

Jo Ellis, a columnist for the Joplin Globe newspaper, reported about a sometimes-overlooked but cherished part of the history of Carthage, Missouri -- the rare Chicago Coin's Band-Box, also known as “Strike Up the Band," in the Pancake Hut restaurant along Route 66. The Band-Box is a coin-operated miniature, robotic big band that's been in … Continue reading Strike up the Band-Box

Boots Motel adds new supplementary sign

The historic Boots Motel in Carthage, Missouri, added a new "Air Conditioned" supplementary sign that's a faithful re-creation of one that hung from the main sign decades ago, along with the "Radio in Every Room" sign installed last year. I failed to notice the "Air Conditioned" sign in old postcards of the 1939 motel, which … Continue reading Boots Motel adds new supplementary sign

Nominate endangered Route 66 places to the National Trust list

If you think a Route 66 landmark faces imminent danger from the wrecking ball, you can do something that might make a difference. Kaisa Bartuli at the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is recommending that roadies make nominations to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2014. She explained … Continue reading Nominate endangered Route 66 places to the National Trust list

“Radio in Every Room” sign added to the Boots Motel

Check out the new blue-and-white sign that Ron Hart of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce and Ed Klein of Route 66 World installed Monday onto the Boots Motel's sign pole. It's a reproduction of the "Radio in Every Room" sign that once graced the motel during the 1940s, shortly after it was built on … Continue reading “Radio in Every Room” sign added to the Boots Motel