The village board of McLean, Illinois, voted 4-2 last week to tear down its historic water tower, despite pleas from preservationists that included members of the Illinois Route 66 Association. The old water tower was built in 1935. It was decommissioned in 2017 after a new water tower was built. Those who voted for the … Continue reading McLean Village Board votes to tear down water tower despite pleas from preservationists
Category: History
Sculptor wants a giant statue of aviation pioneer Wiley Post in Edmond
An Oklahoma City sculptor is seeking to erect a 50-foot-tall statue of aviation pioneer Wiley Post along Route 66 in nearby Edmond. Post's accomplishments are numerous: the first to fly solo around the world, a key developer of one of the first pressure suits and a discoverer of the jet stream. Post was born in Texas, but his family moved … Continue reading Sculptor wants a giant statue of aviation pioneer Wiley Post in Edmond
Jericho owners raising funds to install a historic marker at Jericho Gap
Blair and Blanca Schaffer, the de facto owners of the Route 66 ghost town of Jericho, Texas, recently launched an online fundraiser to erect a historic marker at the start of the notorious Jericho Gap. The Schaffers want to raise $3,000 through GoFundMe.com to place a Texas Historical Marker at the site. The appeal contains … Continue reading Jericho owners raising funds to install a historic marker at Jericho Gap
Jobe’s Drive-In in El Reno scheduled to reopen in mid-2024
Jobe's Drive-In in El Reno, Oklahoma, is scheduled to reopen as a restaurant in June after it closed nearly a decade ago. Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin noted early this summer that the sign for the Route 66 landmark had been spruced up. According to a recent story in the Yukon Progress-News, longtime … Continue reading Jobe’s Drive-In in El Reno scheduled to reopen in mid-2024
El Rancho Grande restaurant in Tulsa marks its 70th year
The landmark El Rancho Grande Mexican Food Restaurant near downtown Tulsa recently marked its 70th anniversary of operation. El Rancho, located at 1629 E. 11th St. (aka Route 66), remains best known for its well-preserved neon sign and that it is a pioneer in Mexican restaurant food in the United States. The restaurant marked the … Continue reading El Rancho Grande restaurant in Tulsa marks its 70th year
Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield may be expanded
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois, may be expanded to include a replica of future President Abraham Lincoln's 1844 cottage and the nearby Elijah Iles House, named for one of the city's early settlers. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth introduced legislation last week to expand the boundaries of the site, which is run … Continue reading Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield may be expanded
Forest Manor Motel in Lebanon is torn down
The closed Forest Manor Motel in Lebanon, Missouri, just down the road from the Route 66 landmark Munger Moss Motel, was demolished in recent weeks. The razing of the 80-year-old motel on the city's east side was reported by the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society. The motel originally was built in 1941 as the Green … Continue reading Forest Manor Motel in Lebanon is torn down
Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen
The Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Illinois, recently acquired space that housed the world's first Dairy Queen restaurant. That first DQ, which opened in 1940, was in a brick, two-story building at 501 N. Chicago St., though the building itself dates to the 1890s. Greg Peerbolte, the museum's executive director, talked to the Joliet … Continue reading Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen
Historical marker added to Road Runner’s Retreat site near Chambless
The Billy Holcomb Chapter of E Clampus Vitus recently added a big historical marker at the defunct Road Runner's Retreat restaurant and gas station near Chambless, California. The chapter describes itself as a "fun-loving, irreverent group dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the history of the west including native Americans, early settlers, the Gold … Continue reading Historical marker added to Road Runner’s Retreat site near Chambless
Latest cost-share grants announced from Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced six grants this year totaling about $165,000 to varying historic preservation, research, oral history, interpretative and educational projects. I noticed the grant awards this year were capped at $30,000. Still, 30 grand is 30 grand. Here are the grant awards: Round Barn siding repair in Arcadia, OklahomaApplicant: Arcadia Historical … Continue reading Latest cost-share grants announced from Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program