The Joplin (Mo.) Globe published a story about four women who are refurbishing a former gas station on Route 66 in nearby Galena, Kan., into a tourism center.
On Thursday, a family from Texas with a 1995 Mustang Cobra decked out to resemble Lightning McQueen from the 2006 animated movie “Cars” stopped by to visit and see the 1951 International boom truck that inspired the Mater character in the film. Needless to say, the sight of two real-size “Cars” characters caused a bit of a commotion.
The 4 Women on the Route, the group fixing up the former Little’s Service Station, recently uncovered more history about the site:
Charles said the corner once was the location of the Banks Hotel, but she found a Joplin Globe story from 1933 stating that the hotel had to be removed because it obscured visibility for motorists along Route 66. She said she thinks an old photo of the Little’s Service Station on display in the building dates to the late 1930s or early 1940s.