Hotel room dedicated to Elvis’ guitarist Wilkinson

 Daily, Missouri  No Responses »
Apr 132013
 





Historic Route 66 hotel dedicated a themed room to late musician John Wilkinson, a former Springfield resident who played guitar for Elvis Presley.

The room, located in the Best Western Rail Haven motel next to the Elvis-themed room, honors the musician who played more than 1,200 shows with Presley from 1968 until Presley’s death in 1977.

Wilkinson, 67, died in January after a four-year battle with cancer and is survived by his wife, Terry, whom he married in 1983.

Tears were shed and memories were shared as Wilkinson’s friends and family gathered at the motel on Friday to view the room for the first time.

Tom Petit met Wilkinson in 1972 while working at a hotel in Aurora, Ill., and they became close friends.

Petit was unaware of who Wilkinson was when he checked in, Petit said. Later that evening, two women came to the hotel, asking for Wilkinson’s room number.

Petit refused to share the information and told the women, “Sorry, that’s not the way we operate.”

“The next morning, before I got off work, (Wilkinson) was down in the bar having breakfast, having it served to him in the lounge because he didn’t want to be around all the people,” Petit said. “Somebody came and told me there was a gentleman down in the lounge who wanted to have a word with me.”

Petit approached Wilkinson and asked, “So you wanted to see me?”

Wilkinson held up a finger to pause Petit and listened to a song that was playing on the jukebox.

A few moments after the song was over, Wilkinson told Petit, “Sorry, but that’s the only song we play that you can hear me play in.”

Petit said he thought, “Who is this guy? What are we talking about here?”

Wilkinson had two notes in the song “Burning Love” that could be heard. Petit said now he can’t listen to the song without hearing the guitar and those notes.

Wilkinson thanked Petit for taking care of things for him the night before.

“We sat down and we talked for a few minutes,” Petit said. “Next thing you know, we’re talking for half an hour.”

Gordon Elliott, owner of the Rail Haven motel, said the Elvis-themed room was updated for the motel’s 75th anniversary in August.

“We didn’t get the chance to do anything to tie (Wilkinson) into Elvis when he was alive,” Elliott said. “We ended up getting the room right next door to Elvis’.”

Elliott said creating the room for Wilkinson would be a great idea since he and Presley were close friends.

“And it ties into Springfield history,” Elliott said.

Presley appeared at the Shrine Mosque in 1956, and Wilkinson, then 10 years old, took the opportunity to tell the king of rock ‘n’ roll how he felt about his guitar playing.

Wilkinson sneaked into the mosque and approached Presley while he was in his dressing room. After some small talk, Wilkinson said, “Elvis, you can’t play guitar worth a damn.”

Presley, slightly insulted but amused, let Wilkinson play his guitar and said, “You’re pretty good.”

Wilkinson responded, “I know.”

Presley hired him 12 years later.

By Katie Lamb – News Leader

Model of Odell station given to museum

 Daily, Illinois  No Responses »
Apr 092013
 




A BIG thank you and congrats to our good friend Willem Bor on his fine work of art!!!!

Pontiac, Ill. — A reception for the debut of a scale model of the Standard Oil Gas Station located on Route 66 in Odell was just the beginning of plans that Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum and Resource Center Director Tim Dye has for the museum during the upcoming tourism season.

With the annual events such as the Red Carpet Corridor coming up in less than a month on May 5 and 6, as well as Pontiac’s Pre-War Festival scheduled for May 25, Dye has plans to host a number of automobile clubs over the tourism season and change many of the museum’s vehicle displays. One upcoming display in particular will be a Pontiac NASCAR vehicle from the late 1980s formerly driven by Michael Waltrip.

“We are in talks with the owner and trying to coordinate with the other cars,” said Dye. “But in the first part of May, a lot of the cars are going to change out. We want people to keep coming back and I think we need to keep it interesting.”

The first of many display changes began on Saturday with a reception the museum had for a gas station model created by Netherlands artist Willem Bor, who Dye said is known for his re-creation of historic Route 66 landmarks and his donation of those models to local museums and tourist collections.

The model was commemorated with speakers who were friends of Bor — Jerry Alger of Michigan and Rich Dinkela II of St. Peters, Mo. Mayor Robert T. Russell was also on hand to say a few words.

“It was a very nice debut,” said Dye. “Being a car museum located on Route 66, we felt the gas station was a good fit for us. We are happy that he wanted to donate the model so that we can share it with people. I like to tie in with local things as much as I can, so it’s an honor to display this at the museum.”

With this being only the second tourism season for the auto museum, Dye said indications are showing this year has the potential to be bigger in terms of numbers of visitors compared to last year’s tourism season. Dye said the Red Carpet Corridor unofficially kicks off the tourism season. Not long after that, this year’s Pre-War Festival, celebrating Americana prior to World War II, is scheduled to showcase a group of Franklin motor cars — a model discontinued in the 1930s which was known for it’s air-cooled engine, a unique trait in the time period.

“For the most part, they are known for being big, luxurious cars,” said Dye. “Local collector Alan Finkenbinder has a couple of them and I am working with him to set up the tourism route. The car club will be here for three or four days.”

At this point, Dye said he is not sure how big the Pre-War Festival will be in terms of outside participation. Dye hopes the weather issues that plagued last year’s event won’t be an issue this year. After those initial festivals, Dye said the museum is planning to host a steady stream of car clubs.

“Some weekends we’ve already booked two different car clubs. In September we are hosting the GTO Association of America for their regional meet again. I foresee lots of car groups coming. If you’re a car fanatic, this will be another good summer.”

Within the next month, Dye plans to switch out many of the display cars in the museum. He is also working on a new display for the big walk-in case.

“When you are open seven-days a week, you can only do so much at one time,” said Dye. “Penny and I are so busy with the operation of the museum, the days just fly by. It’s hard to say the impact we’re having on the tourism by numbers, but it’s got to be helping.”

By Luke Smucker – Pontiac Daily Leader

Oklahoma City Gold Dome Safe for Now

 Daily, Oklahoma  No Responses »
Apr 072013
 






Another great guest article about a Route 66 historical place……

The month of March was a tumultuous one for a historical landmark along Route 66 in the Asian district of Oklahoma City. Dave Box, the owner of the Gold Dome, applied for a demolition permit in early March after purchasing the structure at a sheriff’s auction in September. Box told News 9 in Oklahoma City that the permit is the only way he can “keep his options open” when he discovered the building would require extensive maintenance and repairs. The application was denied because any exterior renovations require approval by the city’s Urban Design Committee. Public backlash and reluctance by the city to approve any sort of changes to the dome has tempered Box’s plans for the time being.

History of the Dome

The Gold Dome was built in 1958 as a Citizens State Bank branch. The building, which is on the National Register of Historical Places, is one of only five geodesic domes in the world, according to GoldDomeOKC.net. It was designed by Robert Roloff to not only provide a unique structure for a bank at the time, but also reflect the “golden” future of the state itself. The roof is constructed of 625 individual anodized aluminum panels that were originally a very shiny gold. The panels have faded over the years due to weather and heat. The structure was built shortly after Interstate 35 was completed and State Highway 66A became the official Route 66 at the time. The old route would have required a new set of BFGoodrich tires on your vehicle, as it had become a rough road to travel throughout the years.

How We Got Here

Box, who also owns a local country club and a talent agency, paid $800,000 for the building after the previous owner, Dr. Irene Lam, was foreclosed on. The Gold Dome is currently home to a business complex, cultural center, restaurant and office space for various businesses. Box told The Oklahoman that he may not have done as much due diligence as he should have before purchasing the building. He acknowledged that he does not want to go down in history as the person responsible for destroying a historical Route 66 landmark, but he also does not want to lose money on an investment he’s already second-guessing.

Debate Continues

One architecture blog noted that Oklahoma City is already trying to destroy Mummers Theater, built by renowned architect John Johansen. Now the city is doubling down, trying to destroy two historical sites. A Facebook page called “Save OKC’s Historic Gold Dome“ was created in March and has already attracted over 500 followers.

Box has said he will pay someone $100,000 to take the dome off his property so he can use it as he pleases. But the city responded that the same permits which they already rejected, would be required for that to happen.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr user QuesterMark)

By: Katherine Reed
Kat loves being a freelance writer and making her own schedule.

Group kicks off restoration of Route 66 Rancho Cucamonga gas station

 California, Daily  No Responses »
Mar 202013
 







GLAD to see this thing coming all together – wished I lived a LITTLE closer to it!!

RANCHO CUCAMONGA–Work to restore the historic Cucamonga Service Station on Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga is revving up after a kick off ceremony held on Wednesday.

The Route 66 Inland Empire California nonprofit group now owns the the propery after it was deeded to them by the Lamar sign company earlier this year.

The nonprofit was formed to save the structure and members intend to renovate and rebuild the gas station to what it looked like during its business heyday in the first part of the 20th century.

“It’s really exciting to see the community want to see this gas station, this service station, come back to its golden years,” said Anthony Gonzalez, president of the Route 66 IECA.

A main goal of the organization is to turn the site of the old Richfield service station into a landmark Rancho Cucamonga tourist destination and museum for Route 66 fans and travelers from all over the world.

Known as the Cucamonga Service Station, it opened in the 1910s and provided service up to the 1970s, he said.

Gonzalez said the group plans to bring back the old gravity-fed pumps from the 1930s, and possibly have old signs, oil cans, souvenirs, and literature related to Route 66 for visitors and the community.

The group’s members had been concerned about the fate of the old building in recent years. A larger adjoining garage in the rear had been demolished in the recent past.

Group members say the plan is raise money with the help of the public to restore the gas station and rebuild the demolished garage. Gonzalez said the hope is to have something open by 2015 in time for the 100 year anniversary of the station.

“We open the door to whoever would like to come in and assist us and bring this dream, this historic station, back to its golden years,” Gonzalez said.

Lamar has donated the land to the nonprofit, and the company should get a tax break from the deal, Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said his group will also look to the state and federal government to assist in available grants.

By Neil Nisperos – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Route 66 Association of Missouri’s 23rd Annual Motor Tour

 Daily  No Responses »
Mar 192013
 







SO many tours – so little time (and no restored truck!!… YET!)

The Route 66 Association of Missouri will be “Rockin’ to the Devil and Rollin to the Saints” on its 23rd Annual Motor Tour. This Years tour will be held September 6th 7th and 8th. The tour will start in Carthage, MO and will end at Orchard Park in St. Clair, MO.

Tour registration begins on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m. at the Econo Lodge, located at 1441 W. Central Ave. in Carthage, MO, where a block of rooms has been set aside for tour goers. Tour Goers can register on Friday night until 10:00 p.m. There will also be information on activities and things to do in Carthage available at registration.

On Saturday, September 7, tour registration will resume at 8:00 a.m. at the Econo Lodge in Carthage, and the tour will depart at 8:15 a.m. (after the pre-tour meeting) from the Econo Lodge. On Saturday, tour goers will have the opportunity to make stops between Carthage and the midpoint destination outside Devil’s Elbow, MO. A guide detailing places to look for on the way will be provided at registration. Among the places tour goers will be able to visit along the way will include Spencer, MO, Gay Parita, Halltown Mercantile, and the Greene County Museum. There will also be information about other suggested stops provided at registration.

The Saturday night midpoint destination will be the Montis Inn, located at the intersection of CR Z (Route 66) and SR 28 just north of Devil’s Elbow. A block of rooms has been set aside for tour goers at the Montis Inn . Saturday night’s dinner will be held at the Waynesville City Park, where we will be able to enjoy the excellent Bar-B-Que prepared by Sweetwater BBQ. There will be a silent auction and information about Sunday provided at the dinner.

On Sunday after the 8:00 a.m. nondenominational worship service, tour goers will proceed from the Montis Inn eastward to St. Clair. Again, a guide detailing places to look for on the way will be provided at registration. The tour will conclude with a lunch catered by Jim’s Country Catering, at Orchard Park just off Route 66 in St. Clair. Additional information on any planned stops or activities along the way will be made available at registration.

For more information and/or to obtain a registration flyer, contact Debbie Rhew (573)-433-9812; dprhew@windstream.net, or Kip Welborn, 314-776-7385, rudkip@sbcglobal.net, or visit our website (where you will be able to find a registration form you can download) at www.missouri66.org. Here’s hoping that you can join us on this year’s Motor Tour!

By Carolyn Hasenfratz – STLToday.com

Historic Route 66 lodge gets new lease on life

 Daily, New Mexico  No Responses »
Mar 182013
 





Luna Lodge is back to its Route 66 glory, which was no small task.

The motor lodge, originally built in 1949, was deemed substandard by city officials in 2008. Officials said they found syringes, fecal matter and raw sewage flowing into a lot next door. Tenants were given two weeks to find new housing before the lodge was boarded up.

NewLife Homes, an Albuquerque non-profit, recently stepped in.

“We just felt this had a good fit. It was in a good location that needed revitalization,” said John Bloomfield, the executive director of NewLife Homes. “Some projects look challenging, but they can be done.”

Luna Lodge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998; because of this, NewLife Homes had to preserve its historic integrity while bringing the building up to code. Asbestos and lead paint had to be removed before the real work could start, turning the 28- unit motor lodge into 14 apartments, with new units built behind the motor court.

The collaborative construction project cost about three million dollars, and was funded largely by grants.

Bloomfield said all of the low-income apartments filled up quickly, which the people NewLife Homes are most looking to help.

“What’s critical is that we are creating permanent supportive communities where people look out for each other, and are also invested in the broader community,” Bloomfield said.

The official ribbon-cutting for Luna Lodge is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Bloomfield said the next project for NewLife Homes is renovating and converting the Sundowner Motel into a 71-unit apartment complex and mixed-use facility for low-income residents. Tenants should be in the Sundowner by August, according to Bloomfield.

Kayla Ayres – krqe.com

Curtains for Rt. 66 Rendezvous

 California, Daily  No Responses »
Mar 182013
 






Route 66 Rendezvous volunteers got the bad news on Thursday: The classic car show, along with the San Bernardino Convention and Visitors Bureau that produced it for 22 years, is going the way of the horse-and-carriage.

The CVB had been funded since 1988 by a 2 percent surcharge on hotel stays.
But when the city hit hard times, it had the redevelopment agency take over funding the visitors bureau.

Of course, when Gov. Jerry Brown decided redevelopment must end in California, the city of San Bernardino had inadvertently left the CVB up a creek without a paddle.

CVB Special Events Director Shelly McNaul had put off announcing the demise to her Route 66 volunteers until she was sure no other organization was going to step forward to produce the event.

“The SBCVB Board of Directors and staff… have explored numerous options to make the SBCVB self-sufficient to no avail,” McNaul wrote.

“Therefore, the SBCVB Board voted to begin the process of closing the SBCVB, relinquish(ing) the franchise of the California Welcome Center and eliminat(ing) production of the 2013 Route 66 Rendezvous.”

The Welcome Center, opened just in 2007, handed out maps, brochures and tourist information at a pit stop off Interstate 10. The state only allows a handpicked few, and now San Bernardino will lose its center.

In a letter to the mayor, SBCVB Chairman Jim Gerstenslager reviewed the bureau’s accomplishments since 1988: publishing an annual visitor guide, hosting the Rendezvous, forming a Youth Sports Alliance to bring soccer and Little League tournaments to the city.

Losing the funding for the bureau puts one more nail in the bankrupt city’s coffin.

- By Cassie Macduff

Help “Raze the Roof” at the Boots Court on Route 66!

 Daily, Missouri  No Responses »
Mar 052013
 










My note: I talked with them today and they are short funds to get the roofing contractor 100% paid. I told them I would help try to raise ANY amount of donations to get the contractor to stay on the property a little bit longer and get the roof and roof like BACK to the way it was when the Boots was first built. ANY dollar amount helps – but please send something to them, or if you are in the area on the scheduled work weekend, SHOW UP AND HELP!!!

Also, as a bonus, I was told the ORIGINAL sign company who created the BOOTS COURT sign will be there in the next weekend or two to repaint the sign to the correct original colors and lettering AND put all new neon, wiring and transformers in (ALL BEING DONATED by the sign company!!) to make the sign look like it did back in the 1940′s. This motel was saved and we have a chance to help it prosper and to be a viable part of Route 66 for generations to come – so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!


The National Park Service, Route 66 Corridor Grant Program has awarded the Boots Motel owners a matching grant to remove the 1978 roof addition and restore the structure to it’s original appearance. The “Raze the Roof” fundraising effort is now underway and we are seeking contributions to help fund our half of the Grant. Please send your contribution to:

Boots Motel Roof Fund, c/o Southwest Missouri Bank,
P.O. Box 814
Carthage, MO. 64836-0814

Contributions may be through the PayPal system using the Route 66 Chamber’s account: visit66@yahoo.com as the Boots owners are not set-up for PayPal.

Please select “PERSONAL” and “OTHER” for your settings so we are not charged a transaction fee, and remark that this is for the “Boots Roof Fund”.

The owners can offer a free night at the Boots (depending on availability) for any donations of $250 to $500 and a free night plus your name on a plaque to be permanently installed in the front office for donations above $500.

Two sisters stepped-up about two years ago to save this venerable 1939 motel that was the first in Carthage, and was at great risk of demolition. Recently restored are five rooms in the 1946 addition and the motel re-opened to travelers last May and is already highly-rated by TripAdvisor.com.

The shingled pitch-roof was added in 1978 and needs to be removed to qualify the motel for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, and obtain additional preservation grants. Last year, the National Park Service / Route 66 Corridor Grant Program awarded the owners a matching grant of $12,000 to help remove the newer roof and restore the original flat roof. A local roofing company submitted a bid as required on the grant application, however the motel’s owners do not have the funds to have the pitch roof removed.

The volunteer event titled the “Raze the Roof” project is scheduled for March 23rd – 24th, with a rain date of March 30th – 31st. Volunteers will be removing the roof sheathing on the two motel buildings so the contractor can immediately repair the flat roofs. If this project is not completed soon thereafter, the grant may be rescinded, which is not a good thing.

The Route 66 Chamber recognizes the critical need to preserve this famous icon for all who travel the Mother Road and for the benefit to the economy of the City of Carthage, so they are seeking a total of eight experienced volunteer roofers to remove the shingles only, so they will need shingle-removal shovels. Other volunteers will do the clean-up and take the removed shingles to the dumpster. This will need to happen on Saturday so the other volunteers can remove the sheathing and trusses by Sunday afternoon.

In exchange for their contribution towards this restoration-preservation project, shingle-removal workers will receive a free two-night stay at a time of their choosing.

The Route 66 Chamber will also make the volunteers (and/or their employers) members of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce and they will receive a Chamber certificate and a Certificate of Appreciation from The Boots Motel (volunteers will be listed on the websites “Volunteer Page“) and on several Facebook pages. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided at no charge.

This will be a well publicized event, and we expect news media coverage and publicity for the volunteers. Roof workers may wear their employer’s T-shirts, bring a sign or banner and a company truck if so desired.

If your can help with this event it would be greatly appreciated. Additional information about the Boots Motel is available at www.bootsmotel.com and on the “Save the Boots Motel” Facebook page. The Chamber’s website is www.visit66.com .

You can help us preserve an important part of Route 66 history. Anyone who wants to volunteer for this project should call the Boots at 417-310-2989 or email them at bootsmotel@hotmail.com

I am struggling to find a way to get out there to help – but timing is not on my side so I will (at the very least) send them a donation to help as I am thankful for what these folks have done to save this important, historic Route 66 landmark!!

Supporting Route 66…

 Daily, Help Route 66  No Responses »
Mar 042013
 





The very best thing one can do to support Route 66 is to travel it. Period.
A traveler can stop and visit restaurants, motels, gift shops and so on, and so on – and by purchasing items, meals, overnight rooms, this is the best way to make sure the route not only ‘stays open’ – but grows as well.

So, what if you can’t get out and travel the route (anytime soon at least)? Do what I do: Support the different Route 66 associations.

I have been (and still am for the most part) a ‘business member’ of most of the Route 66 State Associations. I believe in what they stand for on a smaller level as they concentrate only on their state, with once in a while crossing state lines to help a neighboring project on the route.

I am also a fan of any national Route 66 associations or alliances – but the state level is where I like to be. All in all: They all have their purpose.

I have created a link with all the different associations so you can check them out yourself. I enjoy getting all the news letters and info either mailed to me or even Emailed to me and I always try to help them any way I could.

The only ‘downer’ I have is I was surprised on how many folks who are sort of the ‘who’s who’ of the route do not support these associations – even if only in their own state the route runs through. There may be a slew of reasons and I do not want to name names, I just hope they will see the example so many other folks have become members to support the route in yet another way.
I believe those who are in the ‘know’ should always be a great example of how to do the right thing on the route by supporting it. Hopefully we can get a few more members on board!!

Route 66 Association of Illinois

Route 66 Association of Missouri

Kansas Historic Route 66 Association

Oklahoma Route 66 Association

Texas Route 66 Association – (They do not have an active website)

New Mexico Route 66 Association

Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona

California Historic Route 66 Association

National Historic Route 66 Federation

Route 66 enthusiasts want a billboard and sign museum in Oklahoma

 Daily, Oklahoma  No Responses »
Feb 172013
 






I do not know how they will be able to do this – if the project moves ahead – but I will have to assume it will be through reproductions, paintings, pictures, and maybe an actual sign here or there. I cannot think of too many towns & states who would want to have their old (beat up) sign pulled out of the ground and shipped to Oklahoma… Gives very little for the traveler passing through their state to look at – just my speculation…

Route 66 enthusiasts are organizing to start a new museum in Bethany, Oklahoma, that will focus on billboards and signs from the historic highway.

From Chicago to the Pacific Ocean, billboards and neon signs have lined historic Route 66 for decades.

Kathy Anderson and Arlita Harris discuss a potential billboard and sign museum project Thursday. The signs are in a private collection but represent the type they would like to display in a proposed museum in Bethany.

Signs of the past are disappearing though, said Kathy Anderson, a Route 66 enthusiast and member of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.

When Anderson travels old parts of “The Mother Road,” she tries to imagine what the buildings and cars looked like in past years along the highway built in 1936.
“When I am on less-traveled roads, I realize what is missing are the billboards,” Anderson said.
The idea of saving billboards percolated in her mind until “a light bulb went off,” she said.
“There should be a billboard museum,” Anderson said.
Anderson, who lives in Oklahoma City and works in advertising, has a group of city leaders in Bethany interested in the billboard project that also would include neon signs in a museum.

The idea will need space, she said.
“There is nothing shy, demure or petite about signs, and they need a space to be showcased,” Anderson said.
There are museums with signs and billboards along State Highway 66 in Oklahoma, but nowhere is there a museum exclusively for billboards or signs, she said.
A sign collector, a muralist, community advocate and others also are backing Anderson’s idea.
Arlita Harris, secretary of the Bethany Improvement Foundation, said it is an original idea and a timely one.
Bethany has a “good stretch of the original Route 66 with century-old buildings and land along the highway for such a project,” she said.

‘Now is the time’
Her group has worked on painting murals on buildings across Bethany and has promoted tourism among other projects.
“When Kathy sent me the idea for this billboard museum, it was electric,” Harris said.
“We started sharing it with people, and it just grabbed hold.”
“There are no other Route 66 billboard museums out there, and these signs need to be saved. Now is the time to do it.”

Mike Loyd, a Bethany attorney, has collected vintage neon car signs for years.
He has a garage at his office with a large collection of signs and is interested in contributing to the museum.
John Martin, Bethany Improvement Foundation president, said people nationwide have said there is a need for such a museum.
“We need to get it launched,” Martin said,
“Even if it begins modestly. If we don’t capitalize on this, a billboard museum will be in St. Louis or Arizona.”

Bob Palmer, a muralist who lives in Bethany, has painted murals on the sides of buildings along SH 66 from Bethany to Davenport.
He painted a wall mural near the Boomerang Restaurant in downtown Bethany.
Palmer said interest in Route 66 continues from tourists who come from all over the world to see the American highway.
“I do know how popular Route 66 is with people,” Palmer said.
“It is a well-traveled route. Anything that would stimulate business and draw tourism to the area is a good thing.”

By Robert Medley - NewsOK

 Older Entries  Newer Entries