Missouri State University has placed online several interview transcripts and photos from the Route 66 Oral History Project, conducted by members of the Route 66 Association of Missouri.
Conducted in 2005-06, the interview subjects were:
- Robert Boots, whose parents owned the Boots Motel and Boots Drive-In in Carthage, Mo.
- Julia Chaney, wife of Red Chaney, owner of Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Mo.
- Jerry and Thelma White, owners of Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown, Mo.
The interviews are really enjoyable to read. And because of the subjects’ advanced age or fragile health, it’s good their stories were saved for posterity.
And I would recommend that any restaurateur or business owner read them; pearls of wisdom are found there.
Sounds like a very worthwhile project.
My dad ran a little country store about 1/4 mile south off of Route 66. It was called George’s Farm Store, and was about 4 miles east of Carthage, MO on the way to Avilla. It was open from 1957 to about 1974, and I remember a lot of travelers stopping and buying lunch fixins-bologna, chips, pop, gas, etc. I have a lot of precious memories!