The Oklahoma Route 66 Association a few days ago announced it is replacing about a dozen “Roadside Attraction” signs erected by Hampton Inn at Route 66 sites across the state nearly 20 years ago.
The association stated in a news release it was identifying the location, the sign’s status and whether descriptive text needs to be updated on the sign.
Many of the signs either are faded with age or are missing entirely. This website tracks the location of where the signs originally were erected.
The first location to have its “Roadside Attraction” sign redone is the Blue Whale near Catoosa.
The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona helped the Oklahoma association with the sign templates, and Peak Sign and Design of Catoosa performed the fabrication.
The association also plans to open the ability for other Route 66 attractions to buy similar signs. The organization plans to announce eligibility and application requirements at a later date.
“We are very excited to help restore part of our Route 66 history, which itself was a celebration of keeping our history alive for the next generation,” the association stated.
Jim Conkle and Guy Randall both were the key figures in what was called the Route 66 Caravan in 2003 for Hampton Inn’s Save-a-Landmark program. Randall was the webmaster for the caravan’s website, which fortunately still remains on the internet here.
Looking over the schedule of the caravan, a couple of places that received signs now are defunct, such as Mojo’s restaurant in Catoosa and Ann’s Chicken Fry House in Oklahoma City.
(Image of the new Roadside Attraction sign at the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma, via the Oklahoma Route 66 Association)