Nonprofit group buys long-closed Millennium Hotel in St. Louis

The nonprofit Gateway Arch Park Foundation announced last week it is under contract to buy the landmark but long-vacant Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The hotel, located between the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium on Fourth Street, was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For years, it was a big focal point … Continue reading Nonprofit group buys long-closed Millennium Hotel in St. Louis

Gun museum in Claremore to host railroad exhibit as Big Boy locomotive arrives on Oct. 14

The J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, will open a temporary railroad history exhibit the same day Union Pacific's historic Big Boy locomotive stops in the city on Oct. 14. According to the Claremore Progress newspaper, the Claremore museum will host "American Treasures: The Railroad Museum of Oklahoma," displaying about 150 artifacts … Continue reading Gun museum in Claremore to host railroad exhibit as Big Boy locomotive arrives on Oct. 14

Status report given on 14 neon signs on Route 66 in Albuquerque that received grants

Two neon signs along Albuquerque's Route 66 that received improvement grants are finished and two more are nearly done, according to a report by a TV station in the city. The Imperial Inn Motel sign at 701 Central Ave., which received a nearly $60,000 grant, and the Route 66 Barber sign at 5303 Central Ave., … Continue reading Status report given on 14 neon signs on Route 66 in Albuquerque that received grants

Restoration work begins on century-old jail in El Reno

Renovation work recently started on the century-old Canadian County Jail in El Reno, Oklahoma, so it eventually can reopen as a museum. Preservation El Reno, a nonprofit organization, is busy replacing the stone building's roof before starting on interior work, according to KOCO-TV in nearby Oklahoma City. The station reported: The estimated million-dollar project is … Continue reading Restoration work begins on century-old jail in El Reno

Arizona Libraries receives grant to digitize old newspapers along Route 66 corridor

Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, with the University of Arizona Libraries, recently landed a $319,588 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize 100,000 pages of historical Arizona newspapers, especially along Route 66. According to Hoodline.com: In anticipation of Route 66's centennial in 2026, the project has set its sights on … Continue reading Arizona Libraries receives grant to digitize old newspapers along Route 66 corridor

Red Oak II owner plans to preserve historic La Grange School near Carthage

The owner of the Red Oak II complex near Carthage, Missouri, acquired the historic La Grange School and said plans to preserve the building that dates to the 1860s. The Joplin Globe reported Red Oak II owner Larry Syrnek bought the school and its one acre of land for $35,000 from a farmer who had … Continue reading Red Oak II owner plans to preserve historic La Grange School near Carthage

Tulsa Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program hits five-year mark

The Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program in Tulsa recently marked the fifth anniversary since the first sign restored by the program was delighted. Susan Yates, a resident of the area, on Facebook took note of the five-year mark since the sign at Billy Ray's BBQ & Catfish restaurant in west Tulsa was restored. You … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 Neon Sign Grant Program hits five-year mark

Panel seeks to remodel Ilfeld-Johnson Warehouse, apply for Route 66 grant to boost Santa Rosa

The Guadalupe County Development Corporation's board plans $730,000 in renovations for the historic Ilfield-Johnson Warehouse in downtown Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Local officials also are applying for a grant from the New Mexico Route 66 Centennial Grant Program to improve business facades along Route 66. Longtime Route 66 News readers probably remember previous efforts to … Continue reading Panel seeks to remodel Ilfeld-Johnson Warehouse, apply for Route 66 grant to boost Santa Rosa

Are Muffler Men undergoing a big revival?

The short answer is yes. The Chicago Tribune a few days ago took a look at what one Route 66 advocate, Bill Thomas, called "a bit of a Renaissance" for the fiberglass giants, colloquially known as Muffler Men. The Muffler Men, made primarily by International Fiberglass in Venice, California, during the 1960s to the mid-1970s, … Continue reading Are Muffler Men undergoing a big revival?

Arizona Route 66 Association gives $25,000 grant for Hotel Beale facade improvements

The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona recently awarded a $25,000 grant for facade improvements to the closed Hotel Beale, a landmark in Kingman, Arizona. Sarah Ferry, president of Kingman Main Street, stated in an email that her organization hired historical architect Bill Otwell and Johnny Stewart of Michael Taylor Architects in Prescott, Arizona, on … Continue reading Arizona Route 66 Association gives $25,000 grant for Hotel Beale facade improvements