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A look inside a historic gas station in Depew November 12, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Gas stations, Preservation.
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For years, we’d seen a long-closed gas station along the 1926 alignment of Route 66 in downtown Depew, Okla. Drive belts and other automotive parts could be seen through the windows, like it’d been frozen in time from another era.

Last weekend, while cruising past the station, we saw a man unlock the gas station’s front door and go inside. We did a quick U-turn and investigated.

The man’s name is Scotty Orr, who moved from the Dallas area a few years ago to Depew. He didn’t own the station, but is leasing it for his boat-restoration business. On this day, he was repainting wheels, but was happy to show us around inside.

Orr said the station was long known as Gimmel’s Auto Service (or Gemmill’s Auto Parts, as it’s listed in a Depew history book from 2001).

Once inside, it became apparent why the long-neglected property had held up so well. The station’s solid stone walls, which aren’t quickly apparent from the front, make the structure as solid as a fortress.

This is the original lettering of a hand-painted sign on one inside stone wall of the station; note the backwards “N” is consistent throughout:

Here’s an original tire rack on another wall:

The shop also came with its original parts cabinet:

And remember those belts that I was talking about? They’re still there, albeit moved inside with an original Texaco credit sign:

Orr also keeps a few other relics in the building, including a small soda bottle collection. Orr says he’ll soon put a new roof on the building, which ought to give the structure many more years of life.

Orr said he’d he pleased to show Route 66 tourists around in the shop if you call 972-489-4883 to make arrangements.

Group plans Route 66 trip to raise funds, awareness for veterans November 11, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Road trips.
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Operation Route 66 is planning a Route 66 trip in the May 2012 to raise funds and awareness for U.S. veterans of the Middle East wars.

Appropriately enough, the website for this effort launched today, Veterans Day.

Here a video that explains the project:

The website says:

The mission of Operation Route 66 is to raise funds and awareness for veterans organizations benefitting American soldiers who have served in the wars in the Middle East. Professional photographers Kurt and Nick Gerber will embark on a motorcycle trip across the Western United States to collect stories and portraits of soldiers who have served to secure the safety and stability of the American people.

Accompanied by a small film crew, the team will document the ride and conduct interviews with soldiers and their families along the journey. The father and son team, along with their crew, will navigate Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles over a two-week period in May 2012.

At the conclusion of the ride, the motorcycles used will be up for auction with all proceeds benefiting a designated veterans organizetion. Ultimately, a collection of the portraits and film will be made accessible to the public to honor and identify those who so readily gave.

Operation Route 66 also has an account on Twitter and Facebook.

Historic Albuquerque theater gets $1 million donation November 11, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Preservation, Theaters.
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The Hiland Theatre in Albuquerque received a $1 million donation from a foundation to help restore the historic theater along Central Avenue (aka Route 66), according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The gift came from the Sydney & Andrew Davis Foundation. With that, the National Dance Institute of New Mexico has received $10.5 million of the $13 million needed to renovate the building, the newspaper said.

The first phase of construction is already complete, and 350 to 400 children now use five dance studios at the site after school and on Saturdays. The initial work included office space, locker rooms and restrooms.

The second phase – work is under way now – includes renovating the main theater space. [...]

The National Dance Institute, a nonprofit group, says its work helps students learn about nutrition, fitness and good school habits.

Andrew Davis was moved to see children from diverse backgrounds perform together through the dance programs. According to the New Mexico Business Weekly:

He urged attendees to experience the emotion of seeing 500 children from all kinds of backgrounds dancing at an NDI event.

“They’re happy and doing something as a unit, a team,” he said. “After you [see] this, you won’t just want to be a donor, you’ll beg to be.”

CinemaTreasures.org says the Hiland opened in 1950 and showed its final movie in 1995.

San Bernardino County unveils its first Route 66 historical marker November 11, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Signs.
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A new sign by San Bernardino County to mark Route 66 in that part of California was announced in July.

Today, on the 85th birthday of the official certification of U.S. 66, the county unveiled the first such sign near Oro Grande, according to a report in the Desert Dispatch of nearby Barstow.

The location of the sign is near the Mojave River Bridge.

According to the newspaper:

More than 250 miles of the iconic highway runs the length of San Bernardino County from Needles through Upland. More signs will be placed at various intervals along the route, starting with heading north of Oro Grande onto Main Street in Barstow.

The sign program will then head east on Interstate 40, north on Nebo Street near Barstow, east on National Trails Highway and north on Goffs Road to its junction with Highway 95. [...]

This alignment can be expanded to include additional portions of or the entire Route 66 at a later date. The remainder of the signs on this first leg will be installed by the end of December.

The sign program is being paid with discretionary funds held by the county. It’s the first such program for the county since 1983.

And, if San Bernardino County were smart, it would sell those signs to Route 66 travelers to recoup some of its costs.

UPDATE 11/12/2011: Someone videoed the unveiling of the sign near the bridge:

Veterans Day tribute 2011 November 11, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in People.
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Here is a list of military personnel from Route 66 towns who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. I’ve also added informative links to each of the fallen, wherever possible.

Although the Iraq conflict is winding down, U.S. soldiers are still fighting in Afghanistan. In fact, this was a very bad summer for Oklahoma National Guardsmen.

ILLINOIS
Chicago

Countryside

Cicero

Romeoville

Dwight

Lincoln

Normal

Bloomington

Springfield

Virden

Carlinville

Edwardsville

Granite City

MISSOURI
Florissant

St. Louis

Wildwood

Ballwin

Pacific

St. Clair

Bourbon

Rolla

Lebanon

Marshfield

Springfield

Carthage

Joplin

KANSAS
Riverton

OKLAHOMA
Miami

Vinita

Chelsea

Claremore

Tulsa

Sapulpa
Bristow

Luther

Edmond

Bethany

Oklahoma City

TEXAS
Amarillo

NEW MEXICO
Las Vegas

Santa Fe

Albuquerque

Los Lunas

ARIZONA
Holbrook

Winslow

Flagstaff

Kingman

CALIFORNIA
Barstow

Victorville

Hesperia

San Bernardino

Rialto

Azusa

Arcadia

Fontana

Glendora

Monrovia

Rancho Cucamonga

Pomona

Pasadena

Hollywood

Los Angeles

(Sources: CNN.com, icasualties.org, WashingonPost.com)

A close shave November 10, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in People, Road trips.
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Here’s a new video about a Route 66 trip, with lots of footage of Angel Delgadillo of Seligman, Ariz., doing his thing as a barber.

“What is Route 66?” November 10, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, History.
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Dan Rice, owner of 66-to-Cali on the Santa Monica Pier, tries to answer that question in a brief manner.

Because Route 66 boasts such a rich and multifaceted history, it’s very difficult to answer that question succinctly. But he’s trying, and I suspect the Mother Road gains more tourists because of his tireless efforts.

Road journal November 10, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Photographs, Road trips.
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Photographer Nick Brazinsky traveled the Mother Road from Chicago to Santa Monica. This well-conceived slide show is the result.

Time-lapse video of a 12,000-mile road trip November 9, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Music, Road trips.
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Here’s a remarkably well-edited time-lapse video of a 12,000-mile road trip across 32 states in America. That included a swing on Route 66 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Photographer Brian DeFrees created the video in August and September. More about it can be read on the Daily Mail in London.

The stirring music is “The Sounds” by Waking Lights. The song can be downloaded for 99 cents here.

Progress report on Rancho’s Route 66 Trailhead November 9, 2011

Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Bridges.
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Construction on the Route 66 Trailhead in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has been ongoing. That’s where an old overpass was replaced, and a new overpass is being built as part of the Pacific Electric Trail. Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) also is being widened. The old overpass is being used in a park nearby.

Kevin Hansel, a longtime roadie in the Los Angeles area, sent these pictures a few days ago of the construction project. That includes the new overpass:

More about the project can be seen in this animated video: