After a topsy-turvy session in the Oklahoma Legislature, major funding for the OKPOP museum finally was approved and is slated to open in Tulsa's Brady District in 2018. A lot of people assume the museum is going to focus on Oklahoma's rich music history. But a recent article in the Tulsa World clarifies that OKPOP … Continue reading So what’s going to be in the OKPOP museum?
Category: Books
Negro Motorist Green Book project wins grant
A project to document Route 66 properties listed in editions of the Negro Motorist Green Book was awarded a 2015 grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. According a release from the foundation, it awarded a total of $490,000 to support 63 projects by individuals "that engage original ideas in … Continue reading Negro Motorist Green Book project wins grant
More Genuine Route 66 Lives
KC Keefer recently uploaded a few more videos as part of his Genunine Route 66 Life series. Here is Bob Russell, mayor of Pontiac, Illinois, who personally greets many Route 66 travelers as they arrive in downtown Pontiac. The clip prominently features the bus of late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire. https://youtu.be/X6MmLMJ3RWQ Next is historian … Continue reading More Genuine Route 66 Lives
Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame
Sally Bourne Ferrell of Chandler, Oklahoma, an early leader in the creation of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and one of the champions in restoring a historic armory that became the Route 66 Interpretive Center, was announced as an inductee to the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, according to a report in The Oklahoman newspaper. The induction … Continue reading Route 66 advocate named to Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame
“Kids on 66” e-book is updated
Emily Priddy's "Kids on 66" e-book that's available on the Amazon Kindle platform has been updated just in time for the 2015 tourism season on Route 66. Here's the description: This edition of Route 66 for Kids, newly updated for 2015, is a parent's guide to the best museums, playgrounds, zoos, amusement parks, ice-cream stands … Continue reading “Kids on 66” e-book is updated
Interview with “The 66 Kid” author
Artist and western historian Bob Boze Bell was interviewed for about 13 minutes by a PBS television station at Arizona State University about his new biography, “The 66 Kid: Raised on the Mother Road," that deals primarily with his childhood in the Route 66 town of Kingman, Arizona. https://youtu.be/2OfK_nB1SFc?t=12m10s I've embedded the video so it … Continue reading Interview with “The 66 Kid” author
“Eternal Route 66” DVD produced
Chuck Williams, who parlayed his Christian faith and enthusiasm for Route 66 into two editions of his "Eternal Route 66" book, recently announced he's created an "Eternal Route 66" DVD filmed on the Mother Road. Here's a trailer for the project. You'll probably recognize a few Route 66 landmarks in the background: https://youtu.be/U4rRckjxqvE A description … Continue reading “Eternal Route 66” DVD produced
Michael Wallis busy touting Route 66
Those who are familiar with "Route 66: The Mother Road" author and speaker Michael Wallis know that he cites the allure of Route 66 pretty regularly. However, in the past week or so, he has given the ol' Mother Road considerable publicity by even his standards. First, this poster will go up in libraries across Oklahoma … Continue reading Michael Wallis busy touting Route 66
A chat with Jerry McClanahan
KC Keefer adds to his "Genuine Route 66 Life" video series with a talk with Route 66 artist, author and researcher Jerry McClanahan at his studio in Chandler, Oklahoma. https://youtu.be/ISZLdWzTx2o McClanahan has been traveling regularly on Route 66 for more than 30 years, and his memories of the Mother Road date back even further. Novice … Continue reading A chat with Jerry McClanahan
Book review: “Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery”
Some may assume Cyrus Avery became known as "The Father of Route 66" simply because he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when the highway became designated and federally certified in 1926. But as Susan Croce Kelly's well-researched new biography shows, Avery's involvement in Route 66's birth and … Continue reading Book review: “Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery”