Something You've Got to See: Route 66 in Ten Minutes

As you know, I take my Route 66 events from the excellent Route 66 News site by Ron Warnick, but I usually run my things a month later(or more).  However, Ron has an article about Seeing Route 66 in Less Than Ten Minutes on his Dec. 28, 2019 article.

It is well worth watching and an excellent thing to show to people thinking about getting hooked on the Mother Road.

Well worth going to the Route 66 News and watching it.

--RoadDog

Some Neat Old Cars on My Stucky's Bar Grille 2019 Calendar: 1929 Buick

Earlier this year, I wrote down the cars from January to June.  here are the last six.  They are neat looking old cars:

JULY:  1948 Nash Super 600 in front of the Route 30 Classics & Roadside Refreshments.

AUGUST:  1939 Buick Special Convertible  in front of the Bayview Motel.

SEPTEMBER:  1956 Ford Victoria  in front of an old hamburger joint.

OCTOBER:  1940 Mercury Convertible Sedan in front of an old B.F. Goodrich store.

NOVEMBER:  1929 Buick in front of the Roadhouse Lodging Meals Bakery.

DECEMBER:  1953 Kaiser Manhattan  in front of XXX Root Beer stand.

Like I Said, Neat Old Cars.  --RoadDog

Along 66, Nov. 2019: Oklahoma Route 66 Assoc. Secures Bob Waldmire U-Haul

NOVEMBER 10--  The Oklahoma Route 66 Association has secured Bob Waldmire's U-Haul and is displaying it at the Chelsea Tunnel.

They acquired it through donations.  Famed and deceased Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire painted it for Ken and Marian Clark of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who used it to carry her famed cookbooks to events.    They donated it to the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma, but they didn't have enough room to display it.

It was then given to David and Laurel Kane's Afton Station in Afton, Oklahoma, where it was exhibited.  After their deaths it was auctioned off and bought by an auto dealership in Minnesota.  The 66 Association bought it and it is now by the Chelsea Tunnel, which was a civilian underpass under Route 66 because it was so busy.

There is also a tunnel under 66 at Odell, Illinois.

It was a great pleasure for Liz and I to meet Bob Waldmire on several occasions.  If anyone more exhibited the qualities of being a hippy, it was Bob.  And, what a character, one of those who made the Mother Road what it was.

--RoadBob

Along 66, Nov. 2019: Gas Stations, a Death and Totem Poles

NOVEMBER 8--  The Route 66 Village Station opened in Tulsa. It is a welcome center in southwest Tulsa and modeled after a 1930s Phillips 66 cottage style gas station.  The $555,000 project is located at 3770 Southwest Boulevard  (Route 66)

Love those cottage style stations.

NOVEMBER 10--  Death of Jane Dippel who was very active in the Missouri Route 66 Association.  I am a member of that organization and the Illinois Route 66 Association.

NOVEMBER 12--  The restoration of Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park, near Foyil, Oklahoma, should be completed by the fall of 2020.

It would be too sad to lose this place so I am glad they're doing it.

--RoadDog

Military Convoy Comes to Clinton-- Part 2

Convoy participation wasn't limited to the United States.  Paul Baptist was in it and he is from New Zealand.  He is not driving a military vehicle, but follows the column and provides mechanical support.  This is his second convoy.

"It is absolutely inspirational to see the respect that the community shows towards its military and its veterans," said Baptist.  "It really humbles us to see that respect from the public, and that joy and enthusiasm that we're shown as we pass through towns, it's really incredible."

Young children were lifted by their parents or grandparents to peer into the vehicles.  Older veterans posed in front of vehicles from their era of service.   There were also older cars with the group.

The convoy was commemoration the historic 1919 military convoy that drove from coast-to-coast across the United States on its 100 anniversary.

It was quite a chance happening that we saw evidently the end of the convoy as only counted about 12 vehicles.

But, What a Rush.  --RoadDog

Military Convoy Comes to Clinton-- Part 1

From the August 23, 2019, Clinton (Iowa) Herald  "Crowd shows respect for military convoy" by Jake Mosbach.

History came alive in Clinton on Thursday as more than 50 military vehicles of various eras stopped for an hour at the town's riverfront (that'd be the Mississippi River).

They were part of the Military Vehicle Preservation Society and on a break from their coast-to-coast journey and they drew a crowd of onlookers and fielded questions.  They were there for an hour and a half and would drive on to DeWitt, Iowa, where they would spend the night.

York, Pennsylvania's Darryl Bensinger was driving a 1942 three-quarter ton WC-51 weapons carrier.  Talking about his group, he said:  "This is a great group of people that looks out for each other and works together.  Everybody pitches in.  It really promotes a good comaraderie."

Another good thing about the convoy, according to him, is that they are seeing that "small town America is alive and well, despite what we hear all the time."

We were fortunate to see part of this convoy in Clinton.

--RoadBang

Along 66, Nov. 2019: Another Bridge and Neon Sign Gone

NOVEMBER 4--  Road crews destroy Horse Creek Bridge in Afton despite local opposition.  It was built in 1936 and structurally deficient and functionally obsolete according to the Oklahoma DOT.

But, it had a pedestrian walkway on either side.

It was placed on the NRHP in 1994.

I don't remember it myself.

NOVEMBER 7--  The neon sign at the Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, was taken down for safekeeping.  There is nothing left of it but the stone frame and foundation.

Sadly, the motel has been closed for a long time.  The owner Nathan Lippe took it down and it is in storage.

The motel closed in 2014 after years of bad reviews.  It was built in 1945 and named for the Henry Shaw Gardenway.

Probably the best thing to do under the circumstances, but I imagine the large letter GARDENWAY on top of the building remains.

--RoadDog

A New Auto Dealer Showroom in DeKalb in 1919

From the February 20, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"A deal that is of interest to automobile owners of the vicinity was consummated this week whereby G.H. Deane & Co., leasing  one-half of the main floor of the new Knights of Columbus  building as a salesroom and also for demonstrating purposes.

"This will be one of the finest of such rooms in the vicinity, and with the additional cars that the local company will sell this year, the place should be busy."

I was unable to find out anything else about the company.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Nov. 2019: Sonrise Donuts Sign in Springfield, Illinois

Yep, it's correctly spelled Sonrise.

Eventually the half of the sign at Ace Sign Co. will be at a Springfield Signature  Spot to m ark the city's 66 sites.

Brian Figuera established   Sonrise Donuts in 1947 and the sign was put up in 1949.  Don "Donuts" Greenslade, a former employee,  bought the place in 1967 and at one time made more than 400 varieties a day.  he ran it until he died in 1998.

Several different places have tried to open there, but none lasted too long.  Liz and I did get to eat  breakfast there one time (but no donuts).

No Donuts For YOU!!!  --RoadDog

Along 66, November 2019: Update on Springfield's Sonrise Donuts Sign-- Part 1

These are from the Route 66 News site.  I just take the ones of most interest to me, but there are a whole lot more.  If you want to know what is going on along our favorite old road this is the site you want to check out.

NOVEMBER 1--   The Sonrise Donuts neon sign in Springfield glows to life for the first time in decades.

The Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, Illinois,restored the double-sided sign  after the city purchased it at auction for $22,000 back in December 2018.

It had been on the roof at 1055 S. Ninth St. (Route 66) for nearly 70 years.  It was removed by the building's new owner who wants to open a Mexican restaurant.  The sign would cause confusion with its customers.

Ace Sign Co. has its own little neon sign museum  which includes some which were on Route 66.  One side will remain in the museum located at 2540 S. First Street, for now.   The other side will be going to the Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill at 600 Toronto Road (south of the city).

--RoadDog

Along 66, October 2019: Someone Stole the Kaiser-Frazer Sign in Mitchell, Illinois

OCTOBER 31--  Then Kaiser-Frazer sign near Mitchell, Illinois, has disappeared and its whereabouts are unknown.

It had been altered and painted with new neon tubing to  advertising for the Town & Country Motel, but the paint had peeled off.

Kaiser-Frazer was an auto maker from 1947-1953, so these signs are quite rare.

--RoadDog

John's Modern Cabins: A Cursed Place?

In 1935, a man killed his estranged wife during a Halloween dance at what became John's Modern Cabins.

In 1938, Walter Tyler, deputy sheriff, was killed in a freak accident near "Bill and Bea's Place" just west of Rolla.  This was one of the names John's Modern Cabins had before it became as we know it.

His gun discharged as he was pushing his vehicle while trying to disengage a stuck starter.  The gun apparently fell out of his pocket and onto the running board of his car and went off, striking him in the stomach.

He left behind a wife and three children.

And Now, It Is Getting Halloween Spooky.  --RoadBoo

Congratulations US-12 (Rand Road) and Richmond-Burton High School, Winners of 2019 IHSA Footbal Showdown

US-12 (Rand Road) defeated US-14 (Northwest Highway) here in the Northwestern Chicago suburbs 1-0.  Richmond-Burton Rockets went all the way to the Class 4A Championship.

Richmond-Burton serves students in Richmond Township and Burton Township, with main villages of Richmond and Spring Grove where we live.  I saw them play four times this year and was impressed.

They outscored opponents during regular season 403-53 and 209-41 in the playoffs.

To see a game-by-game breakdown go to my November 30, 2019, Down Da Road I Go blog.

They ended the season 14-0.

**************************************

WINNERS IN THE COMPETITION

2013  US-12
2014  US-14
2015  Tie
2016  US-14
2017  US-14
2018  US-14
2019  US-12

So Proud of Our Rockets!!!  --RoadDog

Way to Go East St. Louis, Williamsville, Lincoln-Way East and Newman Central Catholic: IHSA Route 66 and Lincoln Highway 2019 State Champions: We Have a Tie!!

We started with 256 teams and the last weekend in November came down to the final eight champions.

There were eight champions at the different classes and four of them were from out two roads.  Not bad.

Route 66 Champions
***********************

6A  East St. Louis

3A  Williamsville

Lincoln Highway Champions
************************

8A   Lincoln-Way East

2A   Newman Central Catholic
************************8

We ended up with a 2-2 tie

Winners by year:

2012  LH
2013  LH
2014  66
2015  LH
2016   66
2017  LH
2018   Tie
2019   Tie

Great Games.  Thank You.  --RoadDog

California Pearl Harbor Survivor Joe Feld Remembers Day of Infamy-- Part 4: Aboard the USS Enterprise

"We made three trips down to the battleships to help recover men.  Well, those three trips were all I could take.  I had never even seen a broken bone in my life (before this).

"However, we survived it and went on to other jobs that had to be done around the air station."

Feld and his fellow sailors stayed on the island for another six weeks under blackout conditions, doing those various jobs.  By the first of the year, most of then had returned to the USS Enterprise, believing that was their ticket home.

Not so.

Instead, he and his shipmates would sail into naval history.  The Enterprise drew first enemy blood in the war.  He was aboard the Enterprise when it took part in the Doolittle Raid and at Wake Island and  personally witnessed the turning point of the war in the Pacific when the Enterprise's planes took part in the sinking of three enemy aircraft carriers and a cruiser at the Battle of Midway.

--GreGen

California Pearl Harbor Survivor Joe Feld Remembers Day of Infamy-- Part 3: The Aftermath

A Chief Boatswain detailed Feld and the others to recover bodies at the dock.  Feld remembers seeing six battleships lined up and burning.  The water seemed to be an inferno with flames shooting eight inches up from it.

"But, we had our job to do, so we retrieved them from the water, placed them on a blanket and brought them back to the mess hall.

"When you're twenty years old and start fishing bodies out of the harbor, you don't last very long.  It's a part of the war I can hardly talk about because these guys had tried to swim in burning water to get to shore.

"But, that is what we did.

"We stood next to burning ships with flames going maybe 100 feet high.  It was hot.  You're not equipped to take all that in."

--GreGen

California Pearl Harbor Survivor Joe Feld Remembers Day of Infamy"-- Part 2: The Attack

"I called out to the other fellows, 'We're under attack!'

"We took cover in the mess hall.  Outside, the explosions were huge I'm sure I heard when the Arizona was hit.

"The ships were sitting two in a row.  Hitting one ship caused chain reactions and it was like shooting ducks in a barrel.  After the Japanese took care of the ships, they came after us.

"We fell on our stomachs as the bullets flew through the barracks.  The wood splintered on the columns that supported the roof and plaster rained down on us."

There wasn't much Feld and the others could do until it was over about three hours later.

--GreGen

California Pearl Harbor Survivor Joe Feld Remembers That Day-- Part 1

From the December 6, 2019, Nevada County, Ca. Union "Norris Burkes:  Grass Valley Pearl Harbor survivor Joe Feld remembers the Day of Infamy."

"My name is Joe Feld.   My name is one of the few things I remember,"  chuckles Joe Feld.

But he remembers a whole lot more than that.  He is one of 15 patients Norris Burkes visits at the Hospice of the Foot Hills, Grass Valley.

He joined the Navy in 1939.  After boot camp in San Diego, he was assigned to the brand new aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, "The Big E."

Joe Feld was a metalsmith who fixed everything broken on aircraft except the engine.  After that, he spent 18 months cruising the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Hawaii.  In late November, he and 30 other metalsmiths were sent ashore in earl harbor to fix land-based planes.  The Enterprise returned to sea.

On December 7, 1941, just a few hours before the Enterprise was  to return to Pearl Harbor, he heard an explosion outside his barracks and thought that a plane had crashed.  "I looked out the window to see Japanese planes strafing the airfield.  I was close enough to see the red circle on the plane."

--GreGen

It Just Turned 7:55 AM Here in the Chicago Area: The Beginning of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, 78 Years Ago

Japanese planes began their attack on U.S. Navy and Army installations around the island of Oahu in an effort to knock out  America right at the start of the war.

My flags are up outside.

All eight of my blogs will be about this event today.

"Tattooed On Your Soul" 78th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Tomorrow

Remember to put out your flags tomorrow to mark the 78th anniversary of Pearl harbor.

My World War II blog is titled "Tattooed On Your Soul,"  the words Frank Curre used to describe his Pearl Harbor experience.  He was on the USS Tennessee and died 70 years to the day after the attack, December 7, 2011.

Hang Those Flags.  --Pearl Harbor

Farm Implements On Display in 1919

From the January 23, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Commencing tomorrow and continuing to several days, the Fisk Garage will have a display of Fordson tractors and farm implements on display at the garage at the corner of First and Lincoln Highway.

"The display will include many of the most important machines necessary to successful farming and it is probable that many farmers, who come for the horse sale tomorrow will spend some time giving the Ford products the once over."

--RoadFarm

Teamsters Should Keep Horses From Slip, Sliding Away in 1919

From the January 30, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1919, 100 Years Ago.

"Right at this time, especially during the forenoon,  teamsters should see to it that the horses in their charge are sharp shod, so that the animals will not slip and slide when trying to pull away with a load.

"A teamster was seen this morning with a heavy load pulled by two heavy animals, but neither of the horses had sharp shoes and there was all kinds of of slipping and sliding, the driver finally getting help getting his wagon rolling with a heavy load."

--Cooter

Along 66, October 2019: John's Modern Cabins-- Part 2

John Dausch ran the place, now called John's Modern Cabins, until 1965, after his wife's death.  He closed the business, but continued to live in the main cabin  until his death in 1971 and it has essentially been abandoned ever since.

It has fallen into ruin, but the rusty sign remains.

Joe Sonderman found another photo of the place in August 2019.

Roamin' Rich and a crew went out to the place and cleared the property a year ago and did some structural work.  You can still get out to the site and well worth a visit.  I don't consider a trip through the Ozarks on 66 complete until I visit these ruins.

--RoadDog

Along 66, October 2019: Before It Was John's Modern Cabins-- Part 1

Most every Route 66 fan knows about the further deterioration of an old motel near Rolla, Missouri, called John's Modern Cabins.  We never go by that stretch without stopping to take a look at it.

OCTOBER26--  Joe Sonderman, Mr. Postcard, has found a rare image of the roadside business which later became John's Modern Cabins near Newburg, Missouri.

It's name in the photograph is Bill's Place taken sometime in the 1940s.  Courthouse documents list the name as Bill and Bessie's Place or Bill and Bess' Place, located between Rolla and Arlington, Missouri.

Bess died sometime in the mid-1930s.  Original owner Bill Bayless sold it in 1945.  After that, it changed hands several times until John Dausch bought it in 1951 and renamed it John's Modern Cabins and added a new neon sign with the name on it.

At least one of the cabins was razed when Route 66 was widened  shortly after he acquired i.

--RoadJohn

Illinois State Football Champions for 2019

We started with 256 teams and over five weeks, whittled that down to just 8 who were crowned Illinois IHSA Football Champions this last weekend.

They were:

8A

Lincoln-Way East  14-0

7A

Mt. Carmel  14-0

6A

East St. Louis  14-0

5A

Rochester  13-1

4A

Richmond-Burton  (My town's football team!!   Go  Rockets!!!)  14-0

3A

Williamsville  14-0

2A

Newman Central Catholic  13-1

1A

Lena   14-0

Congratulations Teams!!  --RoadDog