County seeks grant for Sidewalk Highway

Ottawa County in northeast Oklahoma is seeking more than $450,000 in federal Transportation Alternatives Program money to fix the "Sidewalk Highway" of original Route 66 south of Miami. According to an article in the Miami News-Record: If awarded, the money would be used to repair a one-mile segment in a project that would extend for three years to … Continue reading County seeks grant for Sidewalk Highway

Coleman Theatre vandalized

Workers at the historic Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, on Wednesday found broken windows in the Route 66 landmark because of someone shooting a BB gun. KOAM-TV reported: Coleman Theatre Managing Director Shannon Duhon says the vandalism is a disgrace to a historic building that has been the crown jewel of Miami for nearly ninety years. … Continue reading Coleman Theatre vandalized

1929 Marathon station in Miami will be auctioned

The historic Marathon station in Miami, Oklahoma, on old Route 66 will be auctioned at 9 a.m. April 8. The station, built in 1929, sits at 331 S. Main St., part of the oldest alignment of Route 66 in Miami. That segment leads to the so-called 9-foot-wide Sidewalk Highway on the south edge of town. Cindy … Continue reading 1929 Marathon station in Miami will be auctioned

Coleman Theatre marks 20 years of organ’s homecoming

The Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, is marking the 20th anniversary of the homecoming of itsMighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. The organ was built in 1928 and installed at the theater before its opening a year later, reported the Joplin Globe. One of the heroes in the Mighty Wurlitzer's rebirth two decades ago was a Texan … Continue reading Coleman Theatre marks 20 years of organ’s homecoming

Santa Rosa theater may be revived

It's not a sure thing, but plans to revive the historic Pecos Theatre in downtown Santa Rosa, New Mexico, got a big boost last week when a state official enthusiastically supported Guadalupe County's proposal to buy and renovate the theater, according to an article in the print edition of the Guadalupe County Communicator. The town's … Continue reading Santa Rosa theater may be revived

Kingman building ‘welcome arch’ to its downtown

Kingman, Arizona, is building a "welcome arch" across its downtown Beale Street, according to the Kingman Daily Miner. The arch would be installed as part of Kingman's participation as a quarterfinalist in the America's Best Communities contest in which $10 million is at stake, city manager John Dougherty said. Dougherty said the ABC team, which … Continue reading Kingman building ‘welcome arch’ to its downtown

‘American Pickers’ filming on Route 66 in Oklahoma

Two of the cast members of the History Channel's "American Pickers" reality show spent part of last week filming on Route 66 in Oklahoma, according to an article in the Grand Lake News and one of the star's Instagram accounts. The newspaper said Danielle Colby and Mike Wolfe of "American Pickers" dined at Waylan's Ku … Continue reading ‘American Pickers’ filming on Route 66 in Oklahoma

Coleman Theatre will screen double feature of silent movies

The historic Coleman Theatre Beautiful in Miami, Oklahoma, will present two century-old silent films with Dennis James on the theater's Mighty Wurlitzer organ. The two hour-long films from 1915 are "The Cheat" and "A Fool There Was" -- both of which were considered scandalous during that era but are tame by modern standards. Show times … Continue reading Coleman Theatre will screen double feature of silent movies

The man behind Waylan’s Ku-Ku

The Joplin Globe published a profile on Gene Waylan, the longtime owner and grill operator of the Waylan's Ku-Ku Burger restaurant along Route 66 in Miami, Oklahoma. What many people don't know is the Ku-Ku is the last one of a chain that once boasted 200 restaurants across the Midwest during the 1960s. And the primary … Continue reading The man behind Waylan’s Ku-Ku

The miracle of the Coleman Theatre’s restoration

The history and eventual revitalization of the historic Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, is one of the most inspiring and interesting stories you'll hear on Route 66. It continues to amaze how a town of just 13,000 people with nominal funding could return an opulent theater back to its old glory. And who better to … Continue reading The miracle of the Coleman Theatre’s restoration