Help save Bird Creek Bridge near Catoosa February 19, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges, Preservation.2 comments
I was going to write about this, but I’m going to let Route 66 author and preservationist Jim Ross hold court for a bit. This is a partial text of an e-mail he sent today:
The Bird Creek Bridge (formerly known as the Verdigris River Bridge) at Catoosa near the Blue Whale now
has its neck stretched across ODOT’s chopping block. Some of you may have received a letter from them explaining why all the alternatives they supposedly considered won’t work, leaving replacement as the only option. The bridge was built in 1936 and carries westbound traffic. At 24 feet wide, it is 4 feet narrower than its eastbound “twin.” Strangely, ODOT did not use traffic count as justification, though they are pushing the idea of safety.
I talked to Melvena (at the state historical preservation office) about it, and she is not convinced that the bridge cannot continue facilitating traffic. ODOT initially tried to get her to enter the mitigation phase right away, but she refused, and subsequently asked Federal Highway to enter the process as a consulting partner, which they have done.
In addition, the National Park Service in Santa Fe has asked to become a consultant. What all this means is that the bridge ain’t dead yet and there is a fair chance we can save it. One crucial factor is that ODOT needs input from the public to help sway their decision-making.
If you can spare a few minutes to contact the individuals below, it could end up making the difference. Each time we do this, we are that much closer to ultimately changing ODOT’s (and other DOTs) thinking about how best to deal with these historic bridges. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your support!
John D. HartleyEnvironmental Program ManagerFHWA – Oklahoma Division5801 N. Broadway Extension, Suite 300Oklahoma City, OK 73118405-254-3341john.hartley@fhwa.dot.gov
Robert BartlettOklahoma Department of TransportationOklahoma Archaeological Survey111 E. ChesapeakeNorman, OK 73019405-325-7201rbartlett@ou.edu
Dawn SullivanPlanning and Research EngineerOklahoma Department of Transportation200 N.E. 21st StreetOklahoma City, OK 73105405-521-2927dsullivan@odot.org
A note: I’ve already written to the state about the Twin Bridges, and got a favorable response. I implored the state to “repair, don’t replace.” I think all of us want safe bridges, and I think that “repair, don’t replace” is an amenable and pragmatic solution. The state has already responded well to my request to mostly preserve the Captain Creek Bridge near Wellston and appear to be listening again.
If simply repairing the bridge isn’t possible, then I’m up for replacing the bridge with a design that resembles the old one. Again, pragmatism shouldn’t be tossed to the roadside.
UPDATE: Here’s a story about the bridge by The Oklahoman. Among those interviewed is Jim Ross, author of the “Oklahoma Route 66″ guidebook.
(Photo courtesy of Guy Randall.)
“Wild Hogs” tour February 18, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Restaurants, Road trips.add a comment
If you liked the motorcycle road-trip comedy “Wild Hogs,” the Examiner.com has a listings of where you can find the real-life places showed in the film, including spots on Route 66 in Albuquerque.
All the downtown city shots were also filmed in Albuquerque, primarily along Central Avenue. The friendly biker bar is the Library Bar & Grill. It’s on Central Avenue (GPS coordinates: N35? 05.067 W106? 39.066 (WGS84)
You can see some of Albuquerque’s landmarks in the purposely blurred background. Look carefully at the photo above and you can spot a bit of the sign for Nick’s – an institution along Route 66 (also known as Central Avenue).
A slide show of the locations, which include other parts of New Mexico, is here.
Boots Drive-In featured in Route 66 display February 18, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, Museums, Restaurants.add a comment
The former Boots Drive-In restaurant will be re-created in a Route 66 display in the Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage, Mo., reports the Joplin Globe.
A replica of the building front is just starting to take shape at a workshop in Carthage. When finished, it will occupy space in the main floor of the historic courthouse and serve as a display case for artifacts from the Mother Road, according to Chris Wiseman, curator of collections at the Joplin Museum Complex. [...]
“That’s the design that everyone liked, because the history of the Boots Drive-In goes along with the history of Route 66,” said Jim Honey, Eastern District county commissioner.
The former drive-in now houses a savings and loan, and is across the street from the historic Boots Motel, a famous Route 66 landmark.
The display case will be 18 feet wide and 13 feet tall. The exhibit will include full-size artifacts, including a gasoline pump and an air pump, Wiseman said, and part of a vintage car will form a couch to face a flat-screen television that will show slides of Route 66 history.
The main colors of the display will be red and white, based on colors of the drive-in during its heyday. The display will accommodate Route 66 artifacts to be purchased for the project and perhaps some donated by local residents.
The display will be on the courthouse’s first floor. It is being underwritten by a Missouri Department of Transportation grant.
Spreading the word via YouTube February 17, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Restaurants.add a comment
This is going to be commonplace in the coming years: businesses touting themselves to potential customers, via YouTube.
As an example, here’s one by Historic Seligman Sundries on Route 66 in Seligman, Ariz.:
For sale — one grocery store on Route 66 February 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses.2 comments
Bassett’s Grocery, which has operated on Route 66 in Afton, Okla., since 1922, is set to close soon, reported Laurel Kane on Sunday on her blog, Thoughts from a Route 66 Business Owner.
Shortly after we arrived at Afton Station this morning, Tommy Bassett came over to announce that he’s officially closing his little grocery store next week. His grandfather founded Bassett’s Grocery in 1922 and his father ran it until Tommy took it over many years ago. Now, Tommy is getting older and ready to retire, and business has fallen off lately with big, relatively new Wal-Mart Supercenters in the towns both east and west of Afton.
It’s hard to describe how sad this makes me. I’ve even surprised myself by this reaction. I don’t want to be the only business in town! I mourn for what was once a vital, thriving community and now is sinking into ghost town status. I mourn for the beautiful historic building that houses Bassett’s (built in 1911 for the Pierce Harvey Buggy Co.). I fear it will fall into the “wrong” hands and be razed, the fate of so many other buildings in town. I mourn for the few folks who still live here who can’t make the trip to a distant town to buy groceries. I mourn for Route 66 travelers who, a few years from now, will never know the quaint charms of a small town grocery.
When I talked to owner Tommy Bassett on the phone this morning, he was a lot more reluctant to acknowledge his business would soon close. “I’m just hanging on as long as I can,” he said.
His wife, Judy, however, said it was “coming to an end.”
Tommy Bassett said he would consider offers on the building at 11 SE First St., which contains two other storefronts and apartments on the second floor. The price range he gave me was $75,000 to $100,000, which includes the store’s equipment. Bassett’s phone number is 918-533-3993 or 918-257-5267.
As Kane said, the big retailers have hurt a lot of small-town grocers. The longtime owner of another historic Route 66 store, Star Cash Grocery in Commerce, Okla., mentioned this to me a few weeks ago.
Still, I think a grocery store can make it in Afton. It could cater to the steady steam of Route 66 travelers who stop at Afton Station. Afton still has nearly 1,000 residents, and because it’s a minimum 15 miles to neighboring cities of any significant size, it could still be a viable for locals who don’t want to burn a gallon or two of gas to go grocery-shopping.
(Photo courtesy of Laurel Kane)
Construction work coming on Oatman Road February 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges, Highways.add a comment
The Mohave Valley News reports that a bid of $188,864 was accepted to repair six culverts along Oatman Road, aka Route 66, between Oatman, Ariz., and Kingman, Ariz.
If approved by the county supervisors, the construction project is expected to begin in later this month and take about two months to complete. [...]
The culverts allowing rain from washed to flow under the road were built in the 1920s or 1930s. The culverts were constructed without bottoms, allowing erosion over time. The new reinforced culverts, many about six-feet long, will be box shape. [...]
Flooding in 2005 caused parts of Oatman Road to wash away with one sinkhole large enough for a car to fit in.
A few purists might lament the replacement of original culverts. But part of the entire road washing away every time it rains isn’t good, either. So I have no objections.
So, if you’re traveling 66 through that area in the next few weeks, be aware of possible delays.
Also, resurfacing Oatman Road also recently was placed on a list of President Obama’s potential stimulus package projects. Whether Mohave County will continue to pursue this is unknown.
“Calibattin’ on Route 66″ February 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Photographs, Road trips, Web sites.3 comments
Here’s a nifty find: a short film of two gals getting their kicks on the Mother Road. I like the way this was shot and edited, especially with the peppy music.
Kali Meadows, the film’s creator, has a blog with a lot of interesting photos and graphic design.
Winslow is adding a museum February 15, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Museums, Towns.add a comment
A travel article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about attractions in the Southwest — including a new hotel with incredible views of Monument Valley — includes information about the Route 66 town of Winslow, Ariz.
There’s the usual Winslow stuff about La Posada and Standin’ on a Corner Park. But there’s a tidbit of which I was unaware:
Winslow’s second revival is going on down the street at the old distribution center built by John Lorenzo Hubbell, who began trading with the Navajo in 1876. He used the center to acquire wool from the Indians, which was weighed, cleaned and loaded into rail cars. The Winslow Chamber of Commerce now owns the building and is creating a visitors center and museum scheduled to open in the spring of next year.
That’s something to look forward to.
Route 66 Idol February 14, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Music.add a comment
A Kansas Route 66 Idol singing contest will be held as a fundraiser for the Galena (Kan.) Educational Foundation’s college scholarship fund, according to the Pittsburg (Kan.) Morning Sun.
The event will be at 7 p.m. March 28 at the James C. Christman Performing Arts Center in Galena.Prizes include a studio recording session and a promotional package.
Contestants from the four-state region can audition by mailing in a tape by March 7. For more information, call the Galena School District Board of Education Office at 620-783-4499, Ext. 1100.
There’s no word on whether Kansas Route 66 Idol will have an brusque judge like Simon.
A look at Bozo’s rides February 14, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Museums, Vehicles.add a comment
The Detroit News has published a story, with photos, about James “Bozo” Cordova’s Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, N.M.
Many of the 30 vintage vehicles have been restored by Bozo’s Garage across the road. And, unlike many museums, these aren’t just for show. If you have the cash, you can drive one and drive it home. You can view a few of the vehicles for sale here.
Among the cars mentioned are a customized 1939 Plymouth, a tricked-out 1974 Gremlin, a 1950 DeSoto taxicab, a 1931 Auburn sedan and a Mercedes-Benz Gazelle.
Cordova, a longtime fan of the Mother Road, also has been the subject of several Route 66 documentaries.