Historic U.S. Highway 66, better known to the rest of the world as Route 66, marked its 91st birthday today. Some debate rages on whether Nov. 11 can be called the Mother Road’s birthday. A few sources give it as April 30, which was when road officials in Springfield, Missouri, in 1926 assigned the number … Continue reading A look ahead on Route 66 on its 91st birthday
Route 66 fans, preservationists and area leaders met Wednesday at the historic Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, to discuss ways to preserve an ancient stretch of Route 66 between Miami and Afton called the Sidewalk Highway or Ribbon Road. The group emerged with a consensus to talk to the Ottawa County board of commissioners, which … Continue reading Preservationists will approach county to preserve Sidewalk Highway
Landmarks Illinois on Thursday listed Route 66 as one of the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois in the group’s annual list and advocated a National Historic Trail designation for the highway. The group stated: The purpose of the list is to focus attention on sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, or … Continue reading Route 66 listed among Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois
A congressman from Illinois has introduced a Route 66 Centennial Commission Act, which directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to “prepare a plan on the preservation needs of Route 66” and other purposes. U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a Republican from central Illinois, introduced H,R. 66 to the House of Representatives, and it was assigned to a transportation … Continue reading Congressman introduces national Route 66 centennial bill
In the wake of Barack Obama last week designating a big chunk of Route 66 in the Mojave Desert as the Mojave Trails National Monument, pressure is building on the president to designate La Bajada Hill in New Mexico as a national monument, as well. The Christian Science Monitor, in a story Saturday about Obama’s executive actions, … Continue reading La Bajada Hill may become a national monument
The historic Rock Creek Bridge, which has been closed to traffic since March 2013, may reopen to lighter vehicles sometime next month, according to a city official in nearby Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Suzanne Shirey, president of the Sapulpa Area Chamber of Commerce, revealed the plans for the 1921 bridge during an email a few days ago: We … Continue reading Rock Creek Bridge may reopen in next month
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico will hold a long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony to restore the historic Santo Domingo Trading Post, heavily damaged in a fire more than a decade ago. According to a news release from the tribe: “We have looked forward to this day for several years,” says Gov. Sisto Quintana. … Continue reading Groundbreaking is tomorrow for rebuilding Santo Domingo Trading Post
It’s time for the Route 66 community to talk to congressmen about eventually designating the Mother Road as a National Historic Trail, under the auspices of the National Park Service. Of the eight states where the old highway traverses, six have attained Byways or All-American Road status for Route 66. A seventh — California — … Continue reading Let’s make Route 66 a National Historic Trail
The Desert Dispatch reports that San Bernardino County in California is seeking a federal grant to restore old bridges on the National Old Trails Road — an early alignment of Route 66. The county applied for a $52 million stimulus grant to replace 130 bridges that were built between 1929 and 1931 on the old … Continue reading County seeks grant to restore wooden Route 66 bridges
