Laurel Kane will be inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame

Laurel Kane, co-owner of Afton Station in Afton, Oklahoma, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame posthumously later this year, it was learned Saturday during a celebration of her life. A panel from the Oklahoma Route 66 Association selects two winners — one living and one deceased — from a list of … Continue reading Laurel Kane will be inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame

New sculptures soon will grace Route 66 in Tulsa

New sculptures soon will be greenlighted by the Tulsa Arts Commission and installed along Route 66 in Tulsa. KOKI-TV in Tulsa reports these artist's renderings aren't final, but are close.. First is a Route 66-inspired sculpture at the Admiral Traffic Circle that is Mingo Road and Admiral Place (aka Route 66). The second is a group of sculptures at … Continue reading New sculptures soon will grace Route 66 in Tulsa

Vision Tulsa’s passage helps several Route 66 projects

Voters in Tulsa passed the Vision Tulsa sales-tax extension by a wide margin Tuesday, and a few Route 66 projects will receive pieces of the $884 million pie. The big project of Vision Tulsa is building low-water dams on the Arkansas River. But here are the Route 66-related projects Vision Tulsa will fund: --- Route 66 … Continue reading Vision Tulsa’s passage helps several Route 66 projects

Mother Road Revival folk festival in Tulsa announced

A folk music and film festival Sept. 8-11 in Tulsa called the Mother Road Revival that pays tribute to Route 66 was announced this morning at the city's BOK Center arena, with popular country-rock artist Jason Isbell as the headlining act. The Mother Road Revival will occur at several venues that weekend that also include … Continue reading Mother Road Revival folk festival in Tulsa announced

Rapper will restore “The Outsiders” house

A rapper in the group House of Pain purchased a house in north Tulsa prominently used in the 1983 film version of "The Outsiders." He plans to restore the dilapidated home and turn it into a museum dedicated to the film and the S.E. Hinton novel on which it's based. Danny O'Connor, aka Danny Boy, of House of … Continue reading Rapper will restore “The Outsiders” house

New sculpture being installed next to Tulsa Route 66

A new sculpture is being installed this week next to the Route 66 Gateway at Crystal City Shopping Center in west Tulsa. Artist Eileen Gay of Reno, Nevada, delivered the sculpture, titled "Floating Hanger." The Tulsa World had a description of it: Ten feet in diameter, the sculpture resembles two rotary gears, one larger than … Continue reading New sculpture being installed next to Tulsa Route 66

Tulsa lands Bob Dylan archive

A few years ago, Tulsa was lucky enough to acquire the archive of folk-music legend Woody Guthrie. So it seems natural Tulsa also would acquire the archive of music legend Bob Dylan, who began his career as a Woody Guthrie disciple. The New York Times got the scoop this week of the Tulsa-based George Kaiser … Continue reading Tulsa lands Bob Dylan archive

Billy Corgan’s smashing road trip

Billy Corgan, lead singer and songwriter for the rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, recently finished a three-week road trip for a film documentary that included sections of Route 66. Corgan announced the trip on his blog earlier this month. He casually mentioned Route 66 in it, but with few specifics. Given the broad purpose of his trip, it wasn't … Continue reading Billy Corgan’s smashing road trip

100 years of drive-in theaters in one map

The first of many drive-in theaters opened in New Mexico in 1914. More than 100 years later, someone has compiled an interactive map that shows more than 4,600 drive-in theaters built in the United States. Below is a screen capture of the map, but the direct link to it is here (the map may take several … Continue reading 100 years of drive-in theaters in one map

“Boomtown” film now available in DVD, streaming

The "Boomtown" film, a 41-minute documentary about the history of Tulsa that screened in theaters this summer, now is available on DVD, streaming and download. The film documents Tulsa's history, including its rise as an oil town and its key role in Route 66, with interview footage of "Route 66: The Mother Road" author and … Continue reading “Boomtown” film now available in DVD, streaming