A Minnesota-based artist recently launched Explore and Preserve, an apparel and gift website that aims to give part of its profits to endangered Route 66 sites, including the Meramec River Bridge in Missouri.
The historic Meramec River Bridge near Eureka, Missouri, requires more than a half-million dollars by the end of the year or the Missouri Department of Transportation tears it down.
This is where Giesla Hoelscher’s Explore and Preserve site comes in. She explained in a news release:
“I’ve been an advocate for preservation in Minnesota for several years, but after my husband and I traveled Route 66 for our honeymoon in 2015, I’ve become increasingly interested in preservation and restoration efforts along the route,” said Hoelscher. “I found out earlier this year that $650,000 needed to be raised by the end of 2016 to preserve the Meramec Bridge. That’s no small amount of money and I felt compelled to do something more than donate and share the link to the GoFundMe page. I thought that I could use my talents to create something that could help.”
Drawing inspiration from vintage U.S. National Park posters, Hoelscher created an illustration of the Meramec Bridge and put it on T-shirts, magnets, and postcards. 60% of the proceeds from each sale go to the Landmarks Association of Saint Louis in support of their preservation efforts to save the Meramec Bridge. Her biggest hope is that people connect with the products as a way to show their support for preservation.
“Someone said to me, ‘The world doesn’t need another $25 t-shirt, and I agree,” she said. “This isn’t about buying another t-shirt. It’s about making a difference and keeping our country’s roadside from fading away. The generations to come should be able to enjoy the road as much as we do and it’s up to us to save it. Wear your support and pass the message on.”
Here’s a more detailed look of the Meramec River Bridge design:
It also comes in a magnet and a postcard.
Explore and Preserve aims to create other gifts to help preserve other Route 66 sites. In fact, she designed a magnet of the neon sign for The Tropics restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois.
Sixty percent of the profits from sales of that shirt will go toward efforts to restore the sign.
(Image courtesy of Giesla Hoelscher and Explore and Preserve)