A blast from the past from England August 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Music.add a comment
Here’s a 1975 version of Bobby Troup’s cruising classic by the Count Bishops, a highly regarded R&B band from the U.K.
I approve.
A mile for every casualty August 10, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in People.add a comment
This is very peripheral to Route 66, but it’s too moving to not share.
Mike Ehredt of Driggs, Idaho, is running east across the United States. He’s an ultramarathoner, cyclist, and an Army veteran. He’s running solo, and he has no sponsor.
He’s dedicating each mile to each soldier who has died in the Iraq War since it began in 2003. As of Monday night, the total stood at 4,414. He began his run on May 1 in Oregon at the Pacific Ocean. It’s called Project America Run. He’s currently in Iowa.
According to a release from the Pontiac (Ill.) Tourism Bureau:
At each mile, Ehredt is placing a small American Flag with each servicemember’s name, rank, hometown, age, and date of death as a memorial and silent symbol of thanks.
“It is my objective to create an invisible holding of hands from one servicemember to the next, flag to flag, ocean to ocean,” said Ehredt. “One Life. One Flag. One Mile.”
Here’s a video from Ehredt’s website:
According to the Pontiac bureau, he will be running through Livingston County, Ill., on Aug. 27, and will cross Route 66 in Dwight, Ill.
If you want to locate one of the flags Ehredt has planted, or sponsor a flag, go here.
Oatman gets kicks from its burros August 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Animals, Attractions, History, Towns.2 comments
Chris Epting of AOL News has a dynamite headline that accompanies his story about the Route 66 town of Oatman, Ariz. — “Oatman: A Town That Rose from its Asses.”
Although the town boasts re-enacted gunfights, keeps an Old West flavor, and preserved the hotel where Carole Lombard and Clark Gable honeymooned in 1939, Epting correctly notes the real reason that Oatman thrives today — the semi-wild burros that wander its streets in the daytime and mooch carrots from tourists.
A plaque in the center of town explains: “Oatman was founded around 1906 as part of Arizona’s richest gold mining area. Oatman was reborn in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a tourist town. The main attraction was the wild burro herd. The burros roaming the Oatman area are descendants of the burros from the mining ventures of earlier times.
“If it were not for these burros, in all probability, neither you nor this plaque would be standing here today. People from all over the world come to visit, feed and take pictures of the burros.” [...]
At any given time, about a dozen or so of the local celebrities meander and mosey through Oatman, as much a part of the scenery as the ghost town architecture, gold-panning setup and shops selling T-shirts, silver and leather. [...]
A woman who works in a gift shop called Jackass Junction said, “They become like family. We all know their names, and even when they wander in the store, it’s hard to get upset with them.”
Here’s Epting’s video about Oatman and the burros:
A couple of things to add: Many of the burros occasionally eschew going into Oatman when the area vegetation gets good and lush after the very occasional rain. Also, townsfolk tell me they occasionally import a few burros from Mexico to keep the local population from becoming too inbred.
Scenes from the Okie Twist-Off August 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Events, Music, Vehicles.add a comment
We decided to go to Oklahoma City on Saturday to see the fourth annual Okie Twist-Off car and music festival.
The event, which brings in rat-rod and rockabilly fans, also served as a fond farewell to its host, 66 Bowl, which has been sold and soon will be converted into an India grocery store.
Organizers of the Okie Twist-Off, however, have vowed to continue at another venue.
A checkoff for the Mother Road? August 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation.2 comments
Tucked into this business column by Tim Landis of the Springfield State Journal-Register is this fascinating little item:
* ROUTE 66 now has its own Illinois income-tax checkoff. The checkoff for promotion and preservation of the historic route is among four signed into law last week by Gov. Pat Quinn. The others are for Habitat for Humanity, state parks and a property tax relief fund for veterans with disabilities.
I found the bill that was signed by the governor. Here’s the most relevant text:
Fund is created a special fund in the State treasury. Subject to appropriation, the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make grants to not-for-profit corporations that have a statewide impact on Illinois Route 66 and that maintain, improve, or repair Historic Route 66 in Illinois. Grant moneys may be used for tourism promotion, matching grant funds, project development and implementation, grants to units of local government, and rehabilitation of historic structures.
If you’re not familiar with the check-off program, it’s a voluntary way to contribute $1 or more to programs you like or support when Illinoisans file their state income taxes.
I’m not sure how much this check-off will generate for Route 66, especially given the poor economy. Other programs have received more than $100,000 in previous years. But since it’s voluntary, it’s not like anyone can claim that it’s confiscatory. Even just a few thousand bucks a year would be helpful.
It’s difficult to see a downside to this program. Maybe a few other Route 66 states should consider this as well?
Filmmakers plan documentary on Benld’s Coliseum August 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Movies, Music.4 comments
Former schoolteachers Jim Marcacci and Bruce Logsdon have started planning a documentary about the history of the colorful Coliseum music venue in Benld, Ill., according to the Springfield State Journal-Register.
The Coliseum, which sits on an early alignment of Route 66 and predates the road, now exists as a sprawling antiques mall. But vestiges of its musical history remain, including the original stage:
In its heyday, the Coliseum Ballroom on Route 4 in Benld, was, in one concertgoer’s estimation, “the happeningest place.” Built in 1923-24 by Dominic Tarro, the stage hosted nearly a dozen Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acts — and that was on the heels of Big Band and jazz greats such as Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Baritone Vaughn Monroe brought in a national radio broadcast of the Camel Caravan. Lawrence Welk struck up his orchestra here. Johnny Rivers (“Secret Agent Man”) packed so many people into the Coliseum that there was no place to dance.
“And it made it especially difficult to get to the bar,” Marcacci recalls.
The filmmakers have titled their movie “Dance to the Music.” They’ve sent out the word that they’re looking for vintage photographs, memorabilia, film footage and memories to help tell the Coliseum’s story. Marcacci and Logsdon own Sound & Image Videography in Springfield. They’ve already received some cooperation from the Tarro family that ran the place for decades.
The Journal-Register article includes interviews with the former leader of Joey Dee and the Starliters, who played at the Coliseum six times in 1963-64, and former Head East keyboardist Roger Boyd.
The Coliseum originally was a big-band venue. But when that genre faded, it turned to rock ‘n’ roll in 1955. The first rock act there was Fats Domino. Other rockers who’ve played there include Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Bob Seger, Ike and Tina Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Del Shannon, and Dion and the Belmonts.
A Coliseum documentary would make a terrific film. The only place I know with a history and breadth of music that’s comparable is Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa.
The best part about the article is that new Coliseum owners Kelly and Marlana Swanson are considering having bands play there again. A local band performed there during a car show in June.
Those who have interesting memories of the Coliseum should call Kelly Swanson at the Coliseum at 217-835-7788 or 573-513-2438, or Marcacci at 217-825-4111. The Coliseum also has a Facebook page here.
An obscure alignment of Route 66 in Flagstaff August 8, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Highways, History.add a comment
The Arizona Daily Sun today posted an article about the Mike’s Pike street in Flagstaff, Ariz. — a neighborhood which can boast itself of carrying an original alignment of the Mother Road.
The Sun reports:
It goes largely unnoticed by the thousands of motorists traveling along Milton Road, yet its history is hardly without lore.
Mike’s Pike was the original Route 66, the first main street of Flagstaff and still remains an untouched stretch of the “Mother Road.” Roughly 77 years ago, Mike’s Pike was named in honor of M.J. Riordan and T.A. Riordan, brothers who helped establish Flagstaff.
Boxy metal, wooden and concrete buildings dot Mike’s Pike. They are only separated by the occasional iconic Flagstaff bungalow.
It’s mainly an industrial street now. But city officials think the neighborhood will revitalize itself once it repairs sidewalks, installs street lights, and finishes the Rio de Flag drainage project.
The pre-1934 alignment of Mike’s Pike of Route 66 is shown on this map here. Few Route 66 travelers see this approximate half-mile portion, mainly because they stick to the prominently marked Route 66 alignments of Santa Fe Avenue and Milton Road near downtown, which were Route 66 from 1934 to 1968.
And the triangular building at Mike’s Pike and Phoenix Avenue mentioned in the story can be seen at Google Street View here.
El Vado finally safeguarded by city of Albuquerque August 7, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Motels, Preservation, Signs.2 comments
The city of Albuquerque finally has gained ownership of the historic El Vado Motel along Route 66, and city officials are exploring ideas on what to do with it now, reports the Albuquerque Journal.
Among the ideas are converting the property to a Route 66 neon museum, an artists’ colony space, or even as a motel.
Parts of the motel looked like they were in bad shape when we visited the Duke City a few months ago. But city officials are confident they can stabilize the structure so it can be renovated later.
While the ownership of El Vado was pending in the courts, the adobe structure itself deteriorated because the roof was left exposed after swamp coolers were pulled off. A couple of walls slumped into the ground.
That kind of severe damage is fairly limited, Boles said. The city has replaced the old tar-and-gravel roof with a single-ply membrane roof, at a cost of about $130,000, which will maintain the structural integrity while planning takes place.
“It’s stabilized. It’s secured. It’s fully fenced. We visit frequently. I don’t think anybody here expects this to remain vacant for as long as it has been now,” Boles said.
The saga to save El Vado from the wrecking ball began in late 2005, when local developer Richard Gonzalez announced he’d taken possession of the motel and would raze for luxury townhouses. The subsequent battle to save the motel included lawsuits, a historical landmark designation, municipal hearings, and finally a seizure of the property by the city in early 2008. After offers and counteroffers, Gonzalez in March received $1.4 million from the city for the property — considerably less than the $2.5 million he was seeking.
(Photo courtesy of Ace Jackalope.)
A cruise through Hooker Cut August 6, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Highways, History.1 comment so far
Here’s something you don’t see on YouTube all that often — the 1940s Hooker Cut alignment of Route 66 near Devil’s Elbow, Mo.
The videographer says this four-lane alignment of Route 66 is “abandoned,” although that’s not true. It’s still used by local motorists, although it certainly isn’t seeing the traffic volume it saw 50 years ago.
Anyway, Hooker Cut was called that because highway workers gouged a deep cut into a mountain near Hooker, Mo., so they could lay a four-lane highway and bypass a dangerous two-lane alignment of Route 66. The Hooker Cut project was considered quite a highway engineering marvel at the time.
More about Hooker Cut and Devil’s Elbow can be found here.
The neon road August 6, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Events, Signs.add a comment
Well, this is a neat project. The city of West Hollywood, Calif., and the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles have installed a new art installation of four neon signs along Route 66, according to The LAist. The display began Thursday.
“We were looking at projects that would sort of help our history, even our pre-history,” explained Andrew Campbell, West Hollywood’s Cultural Affairs Administrator, about the public art project’s relation to the city’s 25th anniversary. “The city’s positioning along historic Route 66 is quite an important matter for us.”
Four historic neon signs, which light up at night, are now on display in the city. Three of them can be found on the medians near the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial at Santa Monica and Holloway. The fourth, which is from Winchell’s Donuts in Upland, is at Plummer Park and should start lighting up within a few weeks. Apparently, some thinking a new donut shop will soon open there. The signs are on loan for a year from the Museum of Neon Art, which is currently in transition from downtown to a new Glendale space.
Additionally, the city produced a neon walking tour guide, complete with a map and brief descriptions, of 55 signs mostly along the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The neon art displayed is a replica of the Virginia Court Motel diver from 1950, La Fonda Mexican Food formerly of Glendale, Winchell’s Donut House, and Zinke’s Shoe Repair (1928) from Glendale.
Images can be seen here. More neon images can be seen here. The map to find the neon art is here.