The Tulsa World reported that longtime Route 66 business McElroy Tire, at 1545 E. 11th St., will close at year’s end. It had been there since the early 1930s, but company President Kent McElroy said the firm had been squeezed financially by national tire chains and discount stores.
McElroy Tire is notable for its big purple and yellow sign, which once was festooned with neon.
— We’d noticed an ad in the Joplin Globe for a restaurant for sale on Route 66. After a phone call, we determined it was the Chili Willy’s in Baxter Springs, Kan., and it’s for sale for $90,000. If you’re interested, call 620-202-0085.
— I learned through my Twitter account this week that Tomato Graphics has produced “Route 66 Guide: Texas Panhandle Edition.” I’m not sure where the magazine is going to be distributed. However, you can peruse the edition online here. The “Murder on 66” story is particularly good.
— Noted Route 66 photographer Quinta Scott is holding a Christmas sale for her prints. If you buy two of her black-and-white 8-by-10 prints for $47 each, you get one free. You can order them at AlongRoute66.com. Scott’s photographs were featured in “Route 66: The Highway and Its People” and “Along Route 66.” She is among the first to document the Mother Road in photographs after it was decertified. It’s worth poking around the site; you’ll see some properties that have been gone for a very long time.
Hi Ron-
Thanks for the mention of the “Route 66 Guide: Panhandle Edition”. It was developed and published by Lana Barnett of Tulia, Texas. I, too, liked the “Murder on Route 66” story. I was responsible for the design, layout, and prepress work on the document.
The print edition will be distributed next week in locations along Route 66 in Texas. Certainly the advertisers will have copies, so take this opportunity to visit and support them, if possible.
Rumor has it that Lana is looking at doing an online magazine full of Panhandle history and stories. She’s a great regional historian, and I am looking forward to her online publications! If you want to reach Lana, feel free to email me and I’ll pass your message along to her.
An aside, I do graphic design work for many small businesses in remote and rural locations. If I can help any of your readers with their marketing needs, I hope they’ll take a look at my website and get in touch with me.
Rock