Ozark Court motel sign to be restored, planned for Route 66 exhibit in 2025

A recent Instagram post answered a question: What happened to the Ozark Court motel sign in St. Clair, Missouri, that disappeared from Route 66 almost 20 years ago? A collector with extensive historical ties to the St. Louis region procured the sign, which he plans to include in a Route 66 exhibit at the National … Continue reading Ozark Court motel sign to be restored, planned for Route 66 exhibit in 2025

St. Clair native writes book about experiences at Route 66 gas station

DeWayne Landwehr, 74, a native of St. Clair, Missouri, recently published a book about his experiences as a teen employee at a 1950s service station along Route 66. Landwehr, who now lives in Indiana, wrote: “Will That Be Regular or Ethyl?” According to a story in the Washington Missourian, he said his father owned St. … Continue reading St. Clair native writes book about experiences at Route 66 gas station

Buried alive with poisonous snakes on Route 66

Sue Blesi, a historian, dug up the bizarre story of a man who was buried alive for a week in a pit with poisonous snakes and an alligator to draw visitors to the Silver Star Court motel and restaurant on Route 66 near St. Clair, Missouri. Blesi, who recounted the tale in the Washington Missourian … Continue reading Buried alive with poisonous snakes on Route 66

Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks

Pacific, Villa Ridge, Cuba, Sullivan, Bourbon, Stanton, Eureka and a few southwest suburbs of St. Louis along Route 66 experienced a total eclipse. But leading the way was St. Clair, Missouri, which had the longest total-eclipse duration on the route of 2 minutes, 41 seconds. Here's a report from KPLR-TV in St. Louis: KSDK-TV in … Continue reading Route 66 in St. Clair gets its eclipse kicks

Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse

Saturday still was two days before the full solar eclipse would occur in the Route 66 town of St. Clair, Missouri, but hundreds of people already had descended there. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported visitors from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, California and elsewhere Saturday. And the bulk of the traffic wasn't even anticipated … Continue reading Hundreds show up in St. Clair two days before total eclipse