Along66, Nov. 2021: New Owners for the Boots, But, Thanks Priscilla and Debye for Preserving It for Us

NOVEMBER 16

Route 66 enthusiasts give old Boots Court motel owners a sendoff before it closes for the winter.  It is located in Carthage, Missouri.

Before the new owners take over, about 24 people from eight states paid a visit to former owners Debye Harvey and her sister Priscilla Bledsaw who reopened the place in 2012 after a huge amount of repairs, rehabbing and work.

The Boots is the second oldest motel still operating on Route 66.

Local resident of Carthage, Rod Harsh also helped a lot in the rehab.

The new owners will rehab the remaining rooms and reopen in spring.

The Boots came dangerously close to demolition in the early 2000s.

Built in 1939 by Arthur Boots, Clark Gable stayed there on occasion in Room 6.

Those two women couldn't have been any friendlier and helpful.  We are thankful we got to stay with them one time a few years ago.  This was when local folk artist Lowell Davis was erecting his Welcome to Carthage sign next to the motel.

Thanks ladies.

--RoadBoots

Along66, Nov. 2021: Amarillo Puts Shield on the Water Tower and the 20th Anniversary of the World's Largest Covered Wagon in Lincoln

NOVEMBER 13

Amarillo City Council approves putting Route 66 emblem on big water tower.  A Route 66 shield going up on it at Southwest Sixth Avenue (Route 66).

As long as it isn't a smiley face, I'm ok with it.

NOVEMBER 14 

World's Largest Covered Wagon marks 20th year.  It is in Lincoln, Illinois.

It was created in 2001 and features Old Abe reading a book on it.  It was created by David Bentley and originally in Divernon, Illinois, but bought by the town if Lincoln, Illinois, in 2007 with a generous donation of money from Larry J. Van Bubber.

It is located by the Best Western Lincoln Inn on the Route 66 bypass.  This hotel has also undergone an renaissance as it was a bit long in the tooth when we stayed there in the early 2000s.

Thanks Larry.

--RoadDog

Along66, Nov. 2021: The Boots Court Motel Is Sold. Thanks to the Sisters for Saving It

NOVEMBER 10

Boots Court Motel in Carthage changes owners, will open next spring after the rest of the rooms are restored.

Debye Harvey was one of the motel's co-owners along with her sister for the past decade and said the place was sold back in September.  She said she sold it because she is 72 and had run the place for ten years. Route 66ers and Carthage owe her and her sister a big debt of gratitude.  The place had become so derelict that it was almost demolished in the early 2000s.

Liz and I once took a ride back to the rear of the place once and kind of feared for our lives.  It was not a very welcoming situation.

The Boots was built in 1939 by Arthur Boots.  Actor Clark Gable stayed there several times during cross country trips to his native Ohio.  He always rented Room #6.

The plan is to reopen it in March.  

--RoadDog

Attention All You Classic Rock Fans!! The Drive's A to Z Is Back!!: 'Dazed and Confused'

Every end of the year, Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM goes into extended alphabetical listing from Christmas Eve to sometime after the start of the new year.  I've been listening to it this morning,

This is what they've played so far.

DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP--  AC/DC

DIG A PONY--  Beatles

DIFFERENT DRUM--  Linda Ronstadt & Stone Poneys

DIAMOND GIRL--  Seals & Crofts

DIALOGUE (PARTS 1 AND 2)--  Chicago

DEVIL WOMAN--  Cliff Richard

THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA--  Charlie Daniels Band

DECIL INSIDE--  Inxs

DETROIT ROCK CITY--  Kiss

DEJA VU--  CSN

DECEMBER (OH WHAT A NIGHT)--  Four Seasons

DEAR PRUDENCE--  Beatles

DEAR MR. FANTASY--  Traffic

DEAD FLOWERS--  Rolling Stones

DEACON BLUES--  Steely Dan

DE DO DO DO, DE DAD DA DA--  Police

DAZED AND CONFUSED--  Led Zeppelin

DAYDREAM--  Lovin' Spoonful

DAY TRIPPER--  Beatles

If these songs mean something to you, tune in or it's on line atwww.wdrv.com.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "He Was In A Bind 'Cause He Was Way Behind And He Was Willing To Make A Deal."  --Answer below.  --RoadDog

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia"

Ya Gotta See This Video Christmas Card

I just saw this a short time ago and sure enjoyed it.

This was the 12th annual video Christmas card from Frank and Lynne Kocevars.

They are the former owners of the Historic Seligman Sundries on Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona.

Give it a watch.  You'll be glad you did.

You can see it on the December 24, 2021 entry on the Route 66 News blog.

--RoadDog

Along66, Nov. 2021: Guardian of Route 66 Statue Unveiled and Fort Leonard Wood's Black Officers Club Restored

NOVEMBER 7

The "Guardian of Route 66" statue was unveiled at Antares Point Visitors Center in Kingman, Arizona.  Artist Greg Arnold, known for his large Giganticus Headicus tiki sculpture at the center as well, unveiled his new work.

This is at the former Kozy Corner Trailer Court and Ranchero Motel.

As I say with museums and neon, you can never have too many of them.

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NOVEMBER 10

National Preservation Awards honors the restoration of the Black Officers Club at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation gave this honor to the fort which restored Building 2101, better known as the Black Officers Club which was built in 1941.

It is too bad the Army was as segregated as it was back then.  But, that was just the way it was.

--RoadDog

Christmas Songs: 'Merry Christmas Baby'

These were from Bob Stroud's Holiday Hootenanny on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive, from December 19, 2021.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN--  Crystals

MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY--  Bruce Springsteen

FATHER CHRISTMAS--  Kinks

BACK DOOR SANTA--  Clarence Carter

SILENT NIGHT--  Elvin Bishop

SLEIGH RIDE--  Ventures

RUN RUDOLPH RUN--  Keith Richards

WINTER--  Rolling Stones

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY--  Jim  Croce

JIMGLE BELLS--  Booker T. & the MGs

CHRISTMAS IS MY TIME OF YEAR--  Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz & Peter Tork

BLUE CHRISTMAS--  Elvis Presley

Merry, Happy.  

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When I Was Four, I Believed In Santa Claus."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Father Christmas"

Let There Be Christmas Lights

There are two other homes on Riverside Drive in McHenry, Illinois, that are tremendously decorated.  One is right by Riverside Drive and Pleasant Drive on the east side.

The other is also on Riverside Drive to the south of the first one.

Then, of course, there is Veterans Park in downtown McHenry located one block off Riverside Drive on Pearl Street and that is really decorated as well.

Going north into Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, there is quite a light show at the Grand Geneva Resort both outside and inside.

Lotsa Lights, Hoss.  --RoadLight

One Really Pretty Johnsburg Light Display-- Part 2

Johnsburg, Illinois.

This is one of our traditional Christmas light stops.  They've had it every year except for two when someone damaged some of the decorations.  The Scrooge.

About two years ago, the Lankford Construction Co. switched over to LED lighting for environmental purposes and, I imagine for electricity savings.

The array of animated and stationary tableaus is complimented by the LED lighting conversion, where the colors change such as with the ice skaters congregated by a ringed and lit pond.  Santa Claus can be seen putting a golf ball and flying a helicopter.

The company's owner originally purchased a few of the lighted displays from the Pierceton, Indiana-based Herman's Christmasland, which is a top manufacturer of outdoor decorations for municipalities, churches and theme parks.

With each passing season, Lankford's displays began to accumulate and expand across the 10 acre land space the company has.  The actual  assembly of all of it begins immediately after Halloween and starts with the laying out of all of the electrical cords.  All of the elements have been tested by Thanksgiving.

But, by far, my favorite is the stagecoach with a whip cracking, the horses' legs moving as well as the wheels.

Lankford Construction is located at 1455 Karlene Way, which is right off Johnsburg Road.

Worth a Drive. Believe Me.  --RoadLighting

One Real Pretty Light Display in Johnsburg, Illinois

From the December 19, 2021, Chicago Tribune "Light display welcomes holidays near Fox Lake" by Gregory Harutunian.

(The light display is actually in Johnsburg off of Johnsburg Road."

This is one of the largest private holiday displays in the area and, even though Mr. Harutunian thinks it is a hidden gem, most everyone in this area knows about it.  As a matter of fact, we pass it every time we go to Stucky's or Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg.  And, this past Saturday we did the slow cruise through it.  he is correct when he says that is it one of the largest and very impressive displays.

For more than a decade, the Lankford Construction Company has illuminated the December landscape and skies with twenty large stand alone holiday scenes and addition multicolored lighting.

It is all fed by miles of electric cord and strategically placed junction boxes spread over 10 acres of land.

The displays and lights are everywhere, incorporating the use of shrubs, trees, light poles and buildings.

--RoadLit

Along66: David Clark and More Illinois Route 66 Byway Grants

I take these from the Route 66 News blog which has articles every day about our favorite road.  And, it goes into much more detail.  I just pick the posts I'm most interested in and write about them.  So, if you want to get your self on the pulse of the Mother Road, you want to go to the Route 66 News site.

NOVEMBER 2

David Clark provides an overview of the Great Chicago Fire during its 150th anniversary.  He is known as the Windy City Road Warrior and I doubt that anyone knows more about the history of Route 66 in Chicago and surrounding area than he does.

NOVEMBER 4

The Illinois Route 66 Byway is launching  a second round of grants to its members.  These grants range from $500 to $1000.  The post also had a list of the 14 first round recipients.  It costs money to preserve history so this is a good thing.

-RoadDog

It's That Time of the Season, You Know: 'A Christmas Song'

As we quickly approach Christmas in a few days, here are some Christmas songs to get you in the mood.

From Bob Stroud's December 17, 2021, Ten at Ten on Chicago's Classic Rock station WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.

LITTLE SAINT NICK--  Beach Boys

WINTER WONDERLAND--  Ringo Starr

PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS--  Bon Jovi

CHRISTMAS--  Who

GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN--  REO Speedwagon

BLUE CHRISTMAS--  Joe Perry

WHITE CHRISTMAS--  Darlene Love

A CHRISTMAS SONG--  Jethro Tull

CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)--  U2

SLEIGH RIDE--  Ronettes

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well, Way Up North Where The Air Gets Cold There's A Tale About Christmas That You've All Been Told."  Answer below.     Like Ho, Ho, Ho.  --RoadClaus

"Little Saint Nick"

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow-- Part 4

However, permission had to be obtained from the Corps itself to modify the  Eagle, Globe  and Anchor logo.  It was approved.

Under the Cultural  Resources (Environmental)  program for the base, Route 66 is a National Historic Highway registered as a National Landmark managed by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service.  It is up to each state how best to manage those parts of Route 66 within their borders. 

The 1.7 miles of 66 going through the base fall under that.   The base has officially designated Joseph L. Boll Avenue as a segment of Route 66.  It pays homage to  to 66's  contributions to the war efforts.  Historic Route 66 signs have been placed along the road and there are Route 66 stencils on the road similar to those you see in Barstow and other towns.

And the final goal was to build  the 3D Eagle, Globe and Anchor monument at the corner of Route 66  and Wake  Avenue.

Additionally two Marquees with information kiosks will be placed at the front and back gates for guests and visitors (some of whom will not be able to get access to the base) to read  and view details of the history of how Route 66 supported the  installation's war efforts.

The front gate will also house a bronze plaque denoting  additional historical details.

--Road66

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and Rt. 66-- Part 2: A Rt. 66 Strip Runs Through It

Not only did U.S. Route 66 support World War II, but  it is one of the oldest and most popular roads in America, popularly known as "The Mother Road."  Traveling this route reduced  the travel distance between Chicago and Los Angeles by more than 200 miles compared to other routes.

Because of  the American history and significance of  Route 66, it "has become  a symbol of American people's heritage of travel and their legacy of seeking a better life" and registered with the National Register of Historic Places as a cultural resource.

A 1.71 mile stretch of the original U.S. Route 66, named on the base as Joseph L. Boll Avenue, runs right through MCLB Barstow.  The segment was open to the public until1964, when I-40 was constructed.  Base leadership, employees and residents take pride in the fact that MCLB Barstow is the only military installation  with an original  segment of Route 66  running directly through it and that this segment of 66 has been determined eligible  to register under the NRHP.

To better  exhibit and highlight this honor and to recognize  the achievements of all  who sacrificed for the freedom and prosperity of the United States of America, MCLB Barstow, driven by the Cultural Resources Program under the Environmental  Division has initiated a Route 66 project on order to bring  awareness to the installation's  environmental history.

--Road66

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and Route 66-- Part 1: 66's Role in World War II

From the Barstow Base Site.

As part of American history, the War Department, now named the Defense Department,  determined the  need for improved highways for rapid mobilization during wartime and to promote national defense during peacetime.

At the start of American involvement in World War II, the War Department singled out  the West as ideal for military training bases, in part because of its geographic isolation, and especially because it offered consistently dry weather for air and field maneuvers.

Completion of  the improved  I.S. Highway 66 (Route 66) with all weather capability on the eve of the war, was particularly  significant to the nation's war effort.

In 1942, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow started construction alongside route 66.  Critical troops, equipment and supplies were transported on Route 66 to military bases across the country thereby helping to facilitate the single biggest wartime troop mobilization in the history of the nation.

--Road66

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

From Wikipedia.

This is the place I was writing about in the last three posts as it has Route 66 going through it.

Is a Marine Corps  supply and maintenance installation located in the Mojave Desert east of Barstow, California.

This Marine Corps base is presently the second largest employer in the Barstow area and was established as the Marine Corps Depot of Supplies at the present location on December 28, 1942, when the U.S. Navy turned it over to the Marines as a storage site for supplies and equipment  needed for the Fleet  Marine Forces  in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

By the end of the war, the base had outgrown its facilities and as a result, 2,000 acres of land were annexed from the U.S. Army in October 1946,  In 1954,  the Commanding General, Marine Corps Depot of Supplies, Roy M. Gulick, moved his flag from  San Francisco to Barstow and since then the base has grown in stature, strength and size.

--RoadDog

U.S. Marines Own a Piece of Route 66-- Part 3

Bursting at it seams after the war,  the base was expanded with the purchase of 2,000 acres from the Army in 1946.  The 5,500 acre installation is now home to the military's largest rail facility, supporting troop  rotations at the nearby  National Training Center at Fort Irvin and other West Coast bases.

The strip of 66 asphalt there is not the only connection the Corps has with the historic highway, though.  Both are linked through that really popular song"(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which musician Bobby Troupe wrote   shortly after he left the Marines as a captain in 1946 while moving his family to Hollywood.

And, of course, there's the refrain which mentions Barstow.

These days,  drivers heading west must get permission to pass through the base's  front or back gates on the "highway that's the best."

But, new kiosks have been built by the gates which provide the history to visitors.

Just before veterans Day last month, the  ceremony to dedicate the new six foot tall  metal sculpture with the modified Eagle, Globe and Anchor (with the 66 shield) is in the middle of the base and civilians can't see it.

Oh Well.  --RoadMarine

U.S. Marines Own a Piece of Route 66-- Part 2: An Important Part of U.S. World War II Effort

Also called the "Mother Road," Route 66 was the first all-weather highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, wending its way for some 2,400 miles.

While it may evoke thoughts of  scenic road trips and kitschy  roadside attractions from America's postwar economic boom, it  also played a major role in America's efforts during World War II.

During the unprecedented U.S. mobilization for the war, it served as an artery for the movement of troops, gear and supplies between bases..  It also carried job-seekers west for jobs in war industry plants.

To put its supply depot for the Pacific Theater out of range of Japanese naval gunfire, Marines moved it from San Francisco to a spot the Navy gave it along the desert highway  northeast of Los Angeles in December 1942.

Go Navy.  Beat Army.

--RoadDog

The U.S. Marines Own a Part of Route 66-- Part 1

From the 8 December 2021 Military.com Stars and Stripes  "The Marine Corps owns part of Route 66 , so it made a special eagle, globe and anchor form it" by Chad Garland.

There's a Marine Corps logistics base in California's high desert outside Barstow that has one of the Corp's iconic emblem unlike any you'll find anywhere else.

Its symbol is made up of a highway shield superimposed over  the Marine Emblem and is found on signs lining  the shoulder of the Joseph L. Boll Avenue on the base that is a part of the original Route 66 at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.

This emblem recognizes the base's distinction as being the only military base in the country to have an actual part of the Mother Road running directly through it.

This section of road, however, has been off limits to the public since 1964, after Interstate 40 was built through the area.

There are also large Route 66 stencils on the pavement of the 1.7 mile stretch which passes the commissary and the Leatherneck Lanes bowling alley.

Last month, it was used in the base's Marine Corps birthday cake and there is also a  towering sculpture of the sign.

--RoadMarine

Along66, Oct. 2021: Will Rogers Theatre, the Shamrock Court, Union Depot Tulsa and Lightning McQueen in Galena

OCTOBER 22

The Will Rogers Theatre in Oklahoma City marks 75 years by relighting its tower with LED.  It is an iconic art deco tower.

OCTOBER 23

Volunteers help put a new roof on the Shamrock Court motel in Sullivan, Missouri.  Roamin' Rich Dinkela has bought it.

Now, he is quite the gung-ho 66er.

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OCTOBER 26

Then Joplin, Missouri, Union Depot has made the Missouri Preservation's Places in Peril list.  It opened on June 13, 1911 and is now 110 years old.  The last train departed from it on November 3, 1969.  It looks bad.

OCTOBER 30

A replica of Lightning McQueen from the movie :Cars" will be unveiled in Galena. Kansas on November 13.

It will be located just north of Cars on the Route near the historic Front Street Bridge.

There are also replicas of the Sheriff of Radiator Springs and Luigi plus a tractor flipping field near the bridge.

It is great to see all that Galena is doing with its heritage.

Looking Forward to Seeing This.  --RoadFlip

Doolittle, Mo., Welcomed James Doolittle Back in 1946-- Part 2

In early 1941, anew Army  post called Fort Leonard Wood was being built in south central Missouri.  Workers were offered really good wages and they began pouring into the area.  Many lived at tourist camps in Centerville, a community about half way between  Rolla and Newberg.  (This is on Route 66.)

When the town incorporated in 1944, the founders took the name Doolittle.

On October 11, 1946, James Doolittle flew a surplus B-25 from St. Louis to attend a dedication ceremony for a plaque from the town named after him.  There were about 4,000 people there to meet him.

He spoke at the event about the great things aviation was going to bring to the country and the world.  He said that this new town  had a "brilliant" future ahead.  As far as the town's name, he said the name Doolittle:  "It has served me well, however, it is occasionally misspelled and the people of certain foreign countries sometimes murder it when they try to pronounce it."

Today, some residents think the name has something to do with a place to relax, a place to do little.

Indeed, about the only place to find out about the town's connection was at  a local restaurant called Cookin' From Scratch which had the story on the back of its menu.  You could always find this place because of the El Camino with the giant plastic chicken in back.

However, that place is out of business now.

Oh Well.  --RoadLottle

101-Year-Old Pearl Harbor Survivor Will Be Attending the 80th Memorial Service

 From the December 5, 2021, CNN by Lauren M. Johnson.

Ike Schab, 101, told CNN that he was on a docked ship when the attack came.  "I don't remember seeing the Arizona getting hit, but I remember  being at the bow of our ship and a big tower of flame and debris came off her."

He has attended the ceremony a few times before, but this is most likely his last one.

Ira "Ike" Schab now lives in Aloha, Oregon, and arrived in Pearl Harbor back then on the destroyer tender USS Dobbin (AD-3) as a member of the U.S. Navy Band Unit 13 about 12 months before the attack.  He said that he couldn't find a job when he got out of high school and his father suggested to see what the Navy could do for him.

When asked if he could sum up his feelings  about what happened that day in one word, he said, "Terror."

The Department of Veterans Affairs says that only 240,329  of the 16 million  Americans who served during World War II are still alive.

Doolittle, Mo., Welcomed James Doolittle Back in 1946

From the October 11, 2021, St. Louis (Mo.) Post-Dispatch  "Story of Doolittle's daring raid on Japan disappears over Doolittle, Missouri" by Jesse Bogan.

He was such a hero in those dark days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  So much in fact, that a tiny town in Missouri renamed itself after him.  And, that town is right on Route 66.  But, over the years, that famous pilot and what he did  along with the excitement of Route 66 is gone, except for a small plaque that can easily be missed.

I remember the first time I drove through Doolittle, Missouri, on Route 66, that hey that's the same name as the famous WW II aviator.  I wonder if there is a connection.

A recent sampling of some of the town's 648 residents, including the mayor and others showed a definite lack of knowledge about the town's namesake.

It was James Doolittle who led that successful attack on the Japanese mainland just four months after Pearl Harbor.  It was a badly-needed shot in the arm for the waning United States prospects in the war.  The attack did not do much damage, but it was a national morale booster for the U.S. and a wake up call for Japan.

--RoadDog

Along66, Oct. 2021: More Neon Please and the Gardenway

OCTOBER 18

Howdy Burger is the 31st sign to benefit from Tulsa's Route 66 Neon Sign grant.

It is on the 11th Street alignment of Route 66 at 1516 E. 11th Street.

As I have oft said, you can never have too much neon.

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OCTOBER 20

The rooftop letters have been taken down from the old Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri.

They, along with the structure were getting increasingly dilapidated.  Plans are to eventually display them at the forthcoming museum and visitor center at the Red Cedar Inn in nearby Pacific, Missouri,

The Gardenway Motel closed in 2014 after years of decline.  Two years ago, its front neon sign was taken down.  It was built in 1946 and apparently demolition is near.

We always enjoyed driving by this lace, but at least they are keeping those giant letters.

--RoadDog

Congratulations to the Illinois High School 2021 Football Champions

They started 4 weeks ago with 256 teams and as of Saturday, that number was down to just the 8 Class Champions.

I spent a lot of time Friday (when Class 1A to Class 4A played) and Saturday (when Class 5A to Class 8A)  played at Northern Illinois' Huskie Stadium.

1A

 Lena-Winslow  38  Carrolton  25

2A

Wilmington  24  Nashville  7

3A

Byron  35   Trinity Unity  7

4A

Joliet Catholic Academy  56  Sacred Heart-Griffin  (Springfield)   27

5A

Fenwick  (Oak Park)   34   Kankakee  15

6A

Cary Grove (Cary)  37   East St. Louis  36      What a game!!

7A

Wheaton North   35   St, Rita  (Chicago)  6

8A

Lockport  24  Maine South  (Park Ridge)  6

Congratulations to both teams in each class who made it through the field of 32 in each class.

--RoadBall

Along66, Oct. 2021: Few in Doolittle Remember Their Famous Namesake Visiting

OCTOBER 16

Few in Doolittle, Missouri, remember their once-famous namesake visiting them 75 years ago.

Seventy-five years ago this month, famed World War II hero James Doolittle visited the town named for him just two years earlier.  This was a really bug deal and thousands attended the event at the time.

Doolittle's visit came on October 11, 1946.  In 1944, the town of Centertown became Doolittle (and on Route 66).

Doolittle's population today is just 648 and few living there know the origins of the name.

There is only a brass plaque in the community center about it.

I had heard it was named after him.  But the thing I remember the most about Doolittle is the very low speed limit through town, even though there is not much there to warrant such a low speed.

--RoadDog