The story of Red Oak II November 16, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Attractions, People, Preservation.add a comment
KSPR-TV in Springfield, Mo., has an entertaining account of artist Lowell Davis and his Red Oak II complex off Route 66 near Carthage, Mo.
Davis basically bought the town that he grew up in, Red Oak, Mo. He moved it to his new farm, outside of Carthage. Now, the old general store, blacksmith, and a few of the houses are on what used to be a cornfield in Jasper County.
“I wasn’t trying to build an old town. I wasn’t trying to recreate a town, or something. to me, it was like a big blank canvas, you know,” says Davis.
Re-dubbed “Red Oak II,” Davis added his own touches by refurbishing dilapidated buildings from around the area.
Davis grew tired of the upkeep on Red Oak II and sold off most of the property. But it’s still there, offering a glimpse of Davis’ boyhood.
KSPR has a video with the story.
Sunset Motel sign is relit November 15, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Preservation, Signs.1 comment so far
The beautiful porcelain sign for the Sunset Motel along route 66 near Villa Ridge, Mo., saw its neon relit for the first time in about 30 years on Saturday, reported the Route 66 Association of Missouri’s blog.
About half the money to restore the sign came from a cost-share grant by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. And more good news was reported on the blog:
Work on the motel building continues and is expected to be completed in a month or two. In recent history, the motel had been rented as apartments, and when it reopens, the owners plan to reserve half of the rooms for Route 66 travelers.
Jim Thole of the association’s Neon Heritage Preservation Committee said that David Hutson of NeonTime restored the neon tubing, and that Loleta Krueger, former owner of the motel, attended the ceremony. In an e-mailed news release, he said:
Mrs. Krueger and her late husband (Oliver Lee) had owned and operated the motel for 35 years from 1971-2006. She was very excited to see this renewal of the property that she was attached to for so many years. It is now owned and operated by her daughter, and her daughter’s husband.
The operation of the Sunset Motel, on Highway AT (formerly Route 66) near Villa Ridge, Missouri, has been temporarily suspended as other restoration and rehab work is underway, both interior and exterior (new roof, facia, dormers, etc.). When completed, 4 of the 12 units will be available to Route 66 roadies (or anyone) for nightly rental, “just like the good-old days,” while the other 8 units will remain for weekly rental. Route 66 travelers and photographers should be aware that the newly restored neon sign will remain off until the entire restoration is complete, and the motel is back in business.
Here’s what the sign looks like in the daytime.
(Photos courtesy of Jim Thole)
Wanda Jackson to work with White Stripes front man November 15, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Music.add a comment
Rockabilly queen and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson will play a show Saturday at the 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City to help mark the bowling center’s 50th anniversary.
That’s a nice little coup for the 66 Bowl, a prominent business on Route 66 on the city’s west side.
But an even bigger story reported by The Oklahoman is that Jackson soon will be collaborating with Jack White, the leader of the popular garage-rock band The White Stripes and producer of Loretta Lynn’s highly acclaimed “Van Lear Rose” album of 2004.
It’s difficult to overestimate how big of a development this is for Jackson, 72. “Van Lear Rose” wound up being one of the biggest-selling albums of Lynn’s career, and it remains tied for all-time highest-rated album at Metacritic. And the album wasn’t a humongous departure from what Lynn was doing, most notably because she wrote all the songs. White simply found ways to make those previously unreleased songs — some of them 30 years old — sound vital.
A lot of people heard the rambunctious “Portland, Oregon,” but “Miss Being Mrs.” was arguably the emotional center of the album:
Jackson told The Oklahoman that White was “going to stretch me some” during their collaboration. I reckon that White is going to concentrate on that “nice lady with a dirty voice” persona and maybe a pile of rockabilly songs that she’s never recorded.
Here Jackson is in 1958 performing one of her best-known songs, “Hard Headed Woman.”
Here’s a more recent clip of one of her biggest hits, “Let’s Have a Party.”
There’s going to be a lot of excited rockabilly fans because of this news.
UPDATE: It turns out the Jackson had her first date with her future husband at the 66 Bowl 48 years ago. So there’s some sentimental attachment there.
Near the end of the road November 14, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Events, People.add a comment
Chicago Sun-Times reporter and longtime roadie Dave Hoekstra has filed this new story about Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, who is terminally ill with cancer and is spending his final days near his hometown of Springfield, Ill.
Bob Waldmire’s Last Art Show will be at the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.
Kansas visitors center lauded November 14, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Events, Gas stations, Museums, Preservation.add a comment
The Baxter Springs Route 66 Visitors Center in Baxter Springs, Kan., was recognized Friday by the National Park Service as “a place that matters,” according to a report by the Joplin (Mo.) Globe.
Kaisa Barthuli of the NPS’ Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program noted that volunteers used 1,200 hours to restore the 1930 gas station two years ago.
She referred to the recent Ken Burns series on public television, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” She said it was full of examples where ordinary people made a difference in establishing and guiding the National Park Service. [...]
“It’s just extraordinary what can happen on 13 miles of road,” Barthuli said, referring to the length of Route 66 in Kansas. “Nowhere is that as clear as it is here in Kansas.”
Barthuli gave a commemorative plaque to Carolyn Pendleton, director of the visitors center.
St. Louis factory building named to National Register November 13, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, History, Preservation.1 comment so far
The National Candy Company Factory building in St. Louis. The Gravois Avenue viaduct is in the foreground.
The National Candy Company Factory building on the Gravois Avenue alignment of Route 66 in St. Louis was named to the National Register of Historic Places effective Nov. 5, according to an e-mail from the National Park Service.
The building, at 4230 Gravois Ave., was built in 1928 when the National Candy Company was the largest candy maker in the United States in that decade. The building is architecturally notable for its art deco flourishes.
According to the city’s Planning and Urban Design Agency, the building has changed little.
When traveling west on Route 66, National Candy Company building is off to the left as you start to go under the Gravois viaduct. Google Street Views link is here.
According to Chase Candy Co. (famous for Cherry Mash), which bought the National Candy Co. in the 1940s, the original National Candy Co. was founded by V.L. Price, father of future horror actor Vincent Price. According to other online sources, National Candy Co. specialized in jawbreakers and jellybeans.
The art deco facade of the National Candy Company building.
Awesome Springfield November 13, 2009
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Towns.add a comment
Jon Franklin of Digital City muses on 11 reasons why the city of Springfield, Ill., is “awesome.”
Hint: Route 66 plays a role in more ways than one.