2021 Great Race will make stops next week in Sapulpa, Joplin, Rolla

The annual Hemmings Motor News Great Race of antique automobiles will wind through northeastern Oklahoma and half of Missouri on Route 66 next week. The event will make a lunch stop at 12:15 p.m. Monday at the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and make an overnight stop in downtown Joplin, Missouri, … Continue reading 2021 Great Race will make stops next week in Sapulpa, Joplin, Rolla

Little Beaver Creek Bridge near Rolla closed to make way for a new bridge

The historic Little Beaver Creek Bridge along old Route 66 west of Rolla, Missouri, was closed last week so a new bridge would replace it this spring. According to an article in the Phelps County Focus, Martin Springs Drive (aka Route 66) leading to the bridge was closed on Jan. 20. The new, 90-foot-long bridge … Continue reading Little Beaver Creek Bridge near Rolla closed to make way for a new bridge

A closer look at Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla

The Phelps County Focus newspaper recently published a nice profile of the owners of the Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla, Missouri. The Totem Pole proclaims itself the longest-running Route 66 business in Missouri. It dates to 1933, when the business was further east, closer to the ghost town of Arlington, Missouri, although one of … Continue reading A closer look at Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla

The Uranus Examiner newspaper suspends publication

Louis Keen, owner of the infamous Uranus Missouri complex and publisher of The Uranus Examiner, which emerged in September after a nearby daily newspaper shut down, announced the suspension of his publication because of financial difficulties after lenders pulled their funding. In a lengthy Facebook post Friday, Keen explained what prompted him to pull the plug on … Continue reading The Uranus Examiner newspaper suspends publication

Sirloin Stockade in Rolla reopens nine months after fire

The Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Rolla, Missouri, recently reopened after a fire severely damaged it in February. Fire officials described the restaurant along Route 66 on the city's west side as a total loss after the blaze. As KY3 television in Springfield, Missouri, reported, the small regional restaurant chain decided to use the opportunity to … Continue reading Sirloin Stockade in Rolla reopens nine months after fire

Fire destroys Sirloin Stockade in Rolla

A fire Tuesday night destroyed the Sirloin Stockade restaurant on Route 66 on the west side of Rolla, Missouri. Rolla Fire Chief Ron Smith told the Salem News the building was a total loss. He said an official from the Missouri fire marshal's office will investigate. The flames created a spectacle on the south side … Continue reading Fire destroys Sirloin Stockade in Rolla

Mule Trading Post changes hands, undergoes renovations

The Mule Trading Post east of Rolla, Missouri, recently changed owners, and the new caretakers are renovating it for the next few weeks but keeping it open. In a Facebook post in early January, the Route 66 business stated: Hello everyone! The Mule Trading Post has sold to new owners and big changes are coming! … Continue reading Mule Trading Post changes hands, undergoes renovations

Bureau of Mines Building in Rolla named to National Register

A stately brick building along the main Route 66 corridor in Rolla, Missouri, recently was designated to the National Register of Historic Places. The headquarters of the Rolla Division of the Bureau of Mines, also known as the Bureau of Mines Building No. 1, earned the designation April 24, according to an email Thursday from the National … Continue reading Bureau of Mines Building in Rolla named to National Register

Delano Oil Co. gas stations are disappearing

Delano Oil Co. gas stations, a fixture along mid-Missouri and Route 66 for 88 years, are vanishing after Midwest Petroleum bought the chain. Jay Delano, president of the company, told the Waynesville Daily Guide the buyout was supposed to close this week. The company's website still was up Thursday night, however. Delano said he thought it … Continue reading Delano Oil Co. gas stations are disappearing

Grandson of Zeno’s will open restaurant in Rolla

The Zeno's Motel and Steakhouse along Route 66 in Rolla, Missouri, is gone, having met its demise by the wrecking ball about three years ago. However, grandson of the longtime owner of that establishment is opening an Italian restaurant next month in Rolla, reported the Rolla Daily News. It's not on Route 66, but it's … Continue reading Grandson of Zeno’s will open restaurant in Rolla