By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
GALENA, Kan. — Preservationists from around the country toured locations along Route 66 between Tulsa, Okla., and Galena on Thursday.
Twenty-one participants from the National Preservation Conference, presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, joined the daylong field trip.
Kaisa Barthuli, deputy program manager for the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, said the group made stops at the Blue Whale, a former swimming hole in Catoosa, Okla.; a restored gas station in Afton, Okla.; a stretch of the old highway and the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Okla.; a former gas station restored as a visitors center in Baxter Springs; and 4 Women on the Route, a restored gas station in Galena.
Melba Rigg, one of the owners of 4 Women on the Route, in her rapid-fire delivery, described the restored building, the truck that was the inspiration for the Tow Mater character in the Disney movie “Cars,” and the building across the street that once was a brothel. The restored building sells souvenirs and houses a restaurant that Rigg said makes the best Reuben sandwich in the area.
Barthuli said the conference, being held in Tulsa, is a venue for gathering the nation’s top preservationists. She said that because of the location, Route 66 has been a focus of the event.
“We’re delighted to be able to showcase Route 66 for the nation’s preservationists,” Barthuli said.
Author and artist Jerry McClanahan, from Chandler, Okla., was one of the group leaders.
“We’ve had a lot of fun,” McClanahan said, adding that participants have learned some things about the highway. He said there’s more to Route 66 than restored buildings.
“They’ve enjoyed the characters they’ve met on Route 66,” he said.
McClanahan said he included Rigg among the characters, but when he asked Rigg if she agreed, she said she did not.
Roy Bynum, a conference participant from Indianola, Okla., said the field trip provided new information about the historic highway.
“It’s very interesting,” he said.
Conference participant Maryellen Hennessy, a city planner in Albuquerque, N.M., said she enjoyed seeing the small towns in rural America.
“This is so great,” she said. “I’m really impressed with the projects to keep the legacy of Route 66 alive. I can’t wait to come back again.”
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