Three entities involved in Route 66 groups or towns win grants from National Trust fund

Three entities, including one dedicated to preserving the endangered Gasconade River Bridge in Missouri, recently received grants from the National Trust Preservation Fund.

More about the bridge award from the National Trust’s news release:

The Route 66 Association of Missouri, Inc. was awarded $5,000 from the Kansas and Missouri Preservation Fund to hire an engineering firm to inspect, test, and conduct planning work at the historic Route 66 steel trust bridge over the Gasconade River in Laclede County. The four-span bridge was constructed in 1923-34, used for Route 66 traffic starting in 1926. The bridge has been closed since 2014 due to deterioration and the planned restoration will contribute to its current use in education and tourism.

The association is attempting to persuade the Missouri Department ot Transportation to transfer the bridge to it.

Other awards given to entities in Route 66 towns:

• The Edmond History Museum in Route 66 town of Edmond, Oklahoma, received $2,500 to facilitate a consortium celebrating the remaining Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration architectural structures, develop a Centennial Committee, and a marketing and tourism plan.
• The Edwards Store Inc. in Oklahoma City received $5,000 to hire a consultant for marketplace analysis to restore the only surviving Indian Territory structure along the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded $209,047 to 39 organizations in 21 states and the District of Columbia. Learn how you can apply to the upcoming June 1, 2023, grant round of the National Trust Preservation Fund.

(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge courtesy of MaryPetrina Photography)