There was a time that an Ozark Trail obelisk once graced the Route 66 town of Miami, Okla.
It’s been gone for many years. But, according to the Miami News-Record, it will return:
On Monday, councilmembers accepted the recommendation that a 21-foot obelisk be placed on the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street – property owned by Security Bank. […]
The proposed obelisk, which will replicate a 1919 Ozark Trail marker, will rest only a few feet from where its predecessor stood.
The original marker greeted motorists from the center of the intersection of Main and Central streets.
William Hope Harvey designed 12 markers to help guide motorists from Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico to his southwest Missouri resort. He is credited with laying the groundwork for Route 66 as well as being a forerunner in promoting good roads, highway markers and maps.
The obelisk will be paid for with money obtained through a $120,000 grant provided by the National Scenic Byways Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Here are several photos to give you a chance to see what the obelisks look like.
Money from the grant, plus a $30,000 matching grant by Miami, will be used to erect a replica of a historic 40-foot-wide “Miami, Oklahoma – The Gateway” sign that spanned Main Street, just north of Steve Owens Boulevard. Also, signs will be erected to direct travelers to the Coleman Theatre Beautiful and the historic 9-foot-wide “sidewalk highway” of Route 66 south of town.