Collecting memories

Beth, aka loveroute66, has posted three recent photos of the fast-decaying ruins of John’s Modern Cabins on old Route 66 near Arlington, Mo.

She says in the video that she wanted to videotape them now, as they might be unrecognizable or gone the next time she’s in the region.

I confess that we have a lot of history with John’s Modern Cabins. Emily and I extensively researched the history of the tourist court, uncovered a lot of fascinating details, and became involved with Route 66 largely because of it.

We found it once was a beer joint called Bill & Bessie’s Place, and that an aggrieved husband shot to death his estranged wife there in the 1930s. The killer served about 13 years in prison, remarried after his release and by all appearances lived an uneventful life after that.

The second owner was a Chicago native named John Dausch. He renamed the place John’s Modern Cabins shortly after purchasing it in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Locals said the owner’s nickname was “Sunday John” because he illegally sold beer on Sundays. The place went downhill fast after John’s wife died, and he died in 1971. John’s has been pretty much vacant ever since.

The current owner lives about 100 miles away in St. Charles, Mo. About six years ago, we learned he was about to tear the cabins down. But we and other Route 66 enthusiasts persuaded him to relent. After an initial meeting with him, he lost interest in preserving the cabins. Repeated pleas by me and others to help fix what was left of them were ignored.

So John’s Modern Cabins continue to decay rapidly, especially in the past three years or so. They may be gone soon. But at least they’re still there for a little while, helping tell a Route 66 story.