The city of Catoosa, Oklahoma, in April purchased the Blue Whale and its surrounding 23 1/2 acres from its longtime owners, the Davis family. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, revealed the news during a blog post Sunday: Since Catoosa has taken ownership of the land, there have been several improvements. The … Continue reading City of Catoosa purchases Blue Whale property
Category: Towns
City of Tulsa taking a survey to help update its Route 66 master plan
The city of Tulsa is conducting an online survey for a master plan update, called Plan 66, for its Route 66 corridor. The Tulsa Planning Office stated on its website: Over the past 15 years since the original Route 66 Enhancements and Promotion Master Plan of Development was released, several initiatives have been implemented. A Master Plan … Continue reading City of Tulsa taking a survey to help update its Route 66 master plan
Howard Park in Tulsa may be converted into an RV park
Tulsa's historic Howard Park may be converted into an RV park to help capitalize on its location on Route 66. According to Public Radio Tulsa: Tulsa County Deputy Treasurer John Fothergill made the pitch for putting out a request for proposals to build an RV park with up to 70 spaces. Fothergill said a set … Continue reading Howard Park in Tulsa may be converted into an RV park
29 gravestones vandalized at historic Hill Cemetery in Bourbon
A total of 29 headstones at historic Hill Cemetery along Route 66 in Bourbon, Missouri, recently were destroyed by vandals. It's believed the destruction, discovered Wednesday, occurred within the last two weeks after the cemetery last was mowed, according to a report by KSDK-TV in St. Louis. It's also believed more than one person was … Continue reading 29 gravestones vandalized at historic Hill Cemetery in Bourbon
Illinois gives $450,000 in grants for Springfield’s Route 66 corridor
The Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission last week landed two state grants totaling $450,000 to redevelop the Peoria Road/Ninth Street corridor and a plan to promote Route 66 in the county. The State Journal-Register in Springfield reported: For Sangamon County, this translates into $250,000 for a study of the Peoria Road/Ninth Street Corridor between Cook … Continue reading Illinois gives $450,000 in grants for Springfield’s Route 66 corridor
City of Albuquerque to provide aid to businesses affected by COVID-19, riots
Albuquerque's mayor this week vowed to provide assistance to downtown businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic and riots during police brutality protests. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the city has contracted with minority-owned Glass on Wheels to replace an estimated $200,000 in windows that were broken during the protests. There is no timeline when the … Continue reading City of Albuquerque to provide aid to businesses affected by COVID-19, riots
New video cites Route 66 as a reason for Tulsa to land a Tesla truck plant
Tulsa is vying to land a new Tesla Motors truck plant against Austin, Texas. Tulsa looked for a way to separate itself from its competitor. With the help of the Route 66 Alliance and founder Michael Wallis, they came up with this two-minute video: https://youtu.be/2xKWhn66Fbc Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, voiced his approval of Tulsa's efforts … Continue reading New video cites Route 66 as a reason for Tulsa to land a Tesla truck plant
Fire destroys long-closed Palmer Hotel in Afton
A fire first reported Tuesday afternoon destroyed the long-closed Palmer Hotel along Route 66 in Afton, Oklahoma. The Joplin Globe in Missouri reported the fire was reported at 4 p.m. Tuesday. About 20 fire departments and 125 firefighters were called to battle the blaze, which continued to smolder 24 hours later. So much water was … Continue reading Fire destroys long-closed Palmer Hotel in Afton
“Bless Me, Ultima” author Rudolfo Anaya dies at age 82
Rudolfo Anaya, author of the acclaimed novel "Bless Me, Ultima" and the widely acknowledged founder of Chicano literature, died Sunday at age 82. He spent much of his childhood in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and remains the Route 66 town's most famous person. Anaya was in declining health in recent years, his niece told the … Continue reading “Bless Me, Ultima” author Rudolfo Anaya dies at age 82
A journey on how Disney’s Cars Land was developed
Disney Parks a few days ago uploaded a video where two people from Disney and Pixar were interviewed on how they came up with the inspirations for Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park. Pixar’s Roger Gould and former Disney Imagineer Kathy Mangum provide an under-the-hood look of what went into the development and creation … Continue reading A journey on how Disney’s Cars Land was developed