Joplin motor court will be restored

A historic motel along an alignment of Route 66 in Joplin, Missouri, will be refurbished and reopened as a tourist court again, according to Joplin Globe columnist Wally Kennedy. The Westport Lodge (shown above during the 1950s) at North Main Street and Fountain Road, which was on an alternate Route 66 alignment from 1934 to … Continue reading Joplin motor court will be restored

Old motel cabins in Joplin soon will be removed

Old motel cabins on Route 66 in Joplin, Missouri, soon will be razed or removed, according to a story by a business columnist Wally Kennedy in the Joplin Globe newspaper. The item was tucked into a story about Rob's Audio Solutions, which was forced to move from 2604 N. Range Line Road (aka Route 66) to … Continue reading Old motel cabins in Joplin soon will be removed

The lost photos of Joplin

May 22 marked the third anniversary of the powerful tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, and changed that Route 66 city forever. I recommend you read this story from Al-Jazeera America about the Lost Photos of Joplin project, which collected more than 40,000 photographs scattered by the storm. There are lithographs of ancestors from the 1800s, … Continue reading The lost photos of Joplin

Joplin’s new baseball team is called the Blasters

The name for the new American Association professional baseball team in Joplin, Mo., will be the Blasters, with a logo that includes a reference to Route 66. The club announced the nickname and logo Monday afternoon in Joplin. The logo contains a nod to the region's lead-mining history and the town's old Joplin Miners ballclub, with … Continue reading Joplin’s new baseball team is called the Blasters

Joplin dedicates Route 66 Mural Park

Most of it has been up for months, but Joplin, Mo., dedicated its Route 66 Mural Park on Thursday night with a ribbon-cutting and other downtown events. The park near at Seventh and Main — where two alignments of Route 66 intersect — features one-half of a 1964 Corvette embedded in a wall as a … Continue reading Joplin dedicates Route 66 Mural Park

Joplin will dedicate Route 66 Mural Park on Thursday

The Joplin, Mo., Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting to dedicate the Route 66 Mural Park at 6:05 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the chamber. The park near at Seventh and Main -- where two alignments of Route 66 intersect -- features one-half of a 1964 Corvette embedded in a wall … Continue reading Joplin will dedicate Route 66 Mural Park on Thursday

Professional baseball will return to Joplin

As expected, the City of Joplin, Mo., approved a lease this week with an independent professional baseball team from El Paso, Texas, to move into and renovate century-old Joe Becker Stadium, reported the Joplin Globe. The newspaper reported details of the arrangement: The lease requires the city to spend $4 million enlarging and updating the … Continue reading Professional baseball will return to Joplin

Corvette installed at Route 66 Mural Park

One-half of a 1964 Corvette was installed Friday at the Route 66 Mural Park in Joplin, Mo., near Seventh and Main streets, where two alignments of Route 66 intersect. According to a news release from the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau: The newly placed corvette will provide a photo opportunity for visitors to stand by … Continue reading Corvette installed at Route 66 Mural Park

Corvette arrives for Joplin mural park

A red 1964 Chevrolet Corvette -- or half of one, anyway -- recently arrived in Joplin, Mo., to be installed as part of a photo-op at the Route 66 Mural Park in downtown. According to a news release from the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau: Final dedication of the finished park will be held in … Continue reading Corvette arrives for Joplin mural park

Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team

The City of Joplin, Mo., is moving swiftly to accept a proposal to renovate historic Joe Becker Stadium and land a minor-league team from El Paso, Texas, as its new tenant, reported the Joplin Globe. The council voted to have the city staff write a formal agreement defining the terms of a deal toward relocating … Continue reading Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team