Search Results for: National Trails Highway

Rhys Martin becomes manager of National Trust’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative

The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin joined the National Trust as manager of the Preserve Route 66 Initiative last month.  Martin, who hails from Tulsa, joins Amy Webb, who leads the Preserve Route 66 Initiative’s cross-Trust team. The initiative provides preservation grants, assistance and advocacy to help … Continue reading Rhys Martin becomes manager of National Trust’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative

What’s the importance of Route 66 Historic Trail legislation?

Hemmings Motor News published a valuable story with the headline “What’s behind the push to designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail?” that provides a lot of background behind the initiative. It appears the story was prompted by Mobil 1’s current “Keep Route 66 Kickin'” tour, which includes an online petition to support a national-trail … Continue reading What’s the importance of Route 66 Historic Trail legislation?

Sidewalk Highway in Oklahoma undergoing historic review before rehabilitation work begins

A section of 9-foot-wide Sidewalk Highway, aka Ribbon Road, of Route 66 near Miami, Oklahoma, is undergoing a required Section 106 review before Ottawa County begins work to restore the century-old roadway. Section 106 is a review period required by the National Historic Preservation Act anytime work is imminent on or near historic properties. The … Continue reading Sidewalk Highway in Oklahoma undergoing historic review before rehabilitation work begins

Restoration of West Winds Motel sign in Erick among Oklahoma Route 66 Commission grants

The restoration of the neon sign for the closed West Winds Motel in Erick, Oklahoma, is among the $6 million in grants recently awarded by the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission. A list of the funds given from the state’s Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program was posted in a document on the commission’s website. Several grant … Continue reading Restoration of West Winds Motel sign in Erick among Oklahoma Route 66 Commission grants

“Hispanic Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico” webpage given an award for excellence

The “Hispanic Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico” webpage recently received the 2022 Stanton-Horton Award for Excellence in National Park Service History from the Organization of American Historians. The StoryMap webpage, of which the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was a prominent partner, combines photos, video and other interactive elements. The Organization of American … Continue reading “Hispanic Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico” webpage given an award for excellence

New “History of Route 66” is available online

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership recently announced “a new, more accurate” history of Route 66 has been published by Oxford University Press’ Research Encyclopedia on American History. The work was a collaboration between members of Route 66 Road Ahead’s Research and Education working group, Dr. David Dunaway and Dr. Stephen Mandrogoc of the University … Continue reading New “History of Route 66” is available online

Oklahoma Route 66 Association prods senator to reintroduce National Historic Trail bill

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is prodding a U.S. senator to reintroduce a bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. Rhys Martin, president of the association, sent out an email to members this week to contact U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and urge him to reintroduce a bill similar to Senate Bill … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Association prods senator to reintroduce National Historic Trail bill

New initiative aims to help women business owners on Route 66

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership over the weekend announced the launch of its Route 66 Extraordinary Women Initiative that seeks to aid women business owners on the historic highway in the run-up to Route 66’s centennial in 2026. According to a news release from the partnership: The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Initiative empowers women … Continue reading New initiative aims to help women business owners on Route 66

U.S. Senate advances Route 66 centennial bill

The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously approved the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act. It must undergo reconciliation with the U.S. House before it advances to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced the bill (S. 1014) in April 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary of historic … Continue reading U.S. Senate advances Route 66 centennial bill

A few thoughts on the AP’s story on the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

A few days ago, Russell Contreras, a reporter with the Associated Press’ Albuquerque bureau, filed a story last week about the imminent demise of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Because AP stories fly all over the globe and are picked up by dozens of news outlets, I thought I’d better address some of the … Continue reading A few thoughts on the AP’s story on the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program