Waynesville landmark vandalized December 2, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Attractions.add a comment
W.H. Croaker, the frog-shaped boulder next to old Route 66 in Wayneville, Mo., was vandalized with paint sometime after mid-November, reported the Daily Guide in Wayneville.
An unknown person or persons poured maroon-colored paint over the frog’s head, giving it the illusion that it was bleeding, much to the outrage of many local residents.
W.H. Croaker has become an icon in the Waynesville area and is even noted on web sites and books about historic Route 66.
The rock already was painted in frog colors before it was defaced. So it’s reasonable to believe Mr. Croaker can simply be repainted if the maroon hue can’t be removed.
According to the Frog Fest website, the boulder isn’t that old:
W.H. (Waynesville Hill) Croaker, also known as Frog Rock, was born in 1997 when the Missouri Department of Transportation expanded Historic Route 66 to three lanes on the Waynesville Hill. After blasting away at the hillside, locals thought the large rock jutting out resembled a frog. A local tattoo artist volunteered to paint the rock. The last few years the United States Marine unit stationed at Fort Leonard Wood have taken care of Frog Rock’s appearance and home.
UPDATE 12/5/2011: According to an updated story from The Daily Guide, area students cleaned up and repainted Mr. Croaker.
Time to groom some heirs December 2, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in History, Motels, People, Preservation.add a comment
Esley Hamilton, historian for St. Louis County and a longtime preservation advocate, likely will be forced to retire soon because of budget cuts to the county’s parks department, according to a story Wednesday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Hamilton has been a tireless champion for historic structures in St. Louis, including at least one notable one on Route 66.
According to the newspaper’s report:
Hamilton, 66, has actually been trying to retire for the past year, but his work won’t let go of him. In recent months, he has led efforts to save a historic blacksmith shop in Spanish Lake, a Presbyterian church dating to 1839 in Rock Hill and, unsuccessfully, the Brownhurst Mansion in Kirkwood, built in 1892.
He has yet to step down, mostly for lack of a successor. He said he asked his bosses last year who might replace him. Their answer: no one.
“The stumbling block has been for the past year that if I retire, it will be the end of the position,” Hamilton said. [...]
“Nobody in St. Louis can function without that man,” said Jane Gleason, chairwoman of the county’s Historic Buildings Commission. “We’ve all allowed ourselves to lean on him so much that the idea of losing him completely upsets the apple cart.”
And this …
Hamilton has had his disappointments. Chief among them was the 1941 Art Deco-style Coral Court Motel on Watson Road, the old Route 66. In 1995, Hamilton praised it as “one of the foremost examples of streamline modern architecture of the 1930s and 1940s.” But the motel — or no-tell as it was called at the time — had become known for its hourly rates. The complex in the village of Marlborough was demolished to make room for a subdivision.
A few observations from me …
— If St. Louis County doesn’t preserve (no pun intended) Hamilton’s job, at least one official said it may allow him to volunteer up to 20 hours a week. Or the county could find a way to reassign his position so it can keep him on the payroll. The latter option isn’t impossible. The story remains one of the Post-Dispatch’s 10 most-read stories 36 hours after its publication, and the resultant public outcry may persuade St. Louis County to keep him.
— If Hamilton is cut loose, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a preservation group hire him. I have no direct knowledge that this would happen. However, such a group having Hamilton on staff would give it tremendous credibility.
— Finally, it’s apparent from the story that St. Louis preservationists rely heavily on Hamilton. However, because of his age, Hamilton or his future employer had better get a few understudies so they can learn his methods and carry on his work in the future.
As things stand now, the St. Louis preservation community could be rudderless for years if Hamilton dies or his health fails. The situation is akin to historic restaurant’s future existence being threatened because the senior cook holds all the recipes in his brain and won’t / can’t give them to his apprentices. Esley Hamilton needs some preservation-minded heirs.
(On a semi-related note, I sure hope former Pig Hip restaurant owner Ernie Edwards gives his secret sauce recipe to someone before he sheds his mortal coil.)
Partridge Creek Bridge December 1, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Bridges.add a comment
Here’s a new video of an old alignment of Route 66 that includes the Partridge Creek Bridge in Arizona, west of Ash Fork.
The bridge is known to Route 66 travelers because a tree grows from one end of the bridge.
According to noted blogger Mr. Zip, this alignment served as Route 66 from 1926 to 1965. The bridge itself dates to the 1920s.
At one point two years ago, this alignment appeared to be in danger of redevelopment. At the least, these plans seem to have been delayed, probably because of the poor economy in Arizona.
Panoramic views of the bridge can be seen here and here.