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.”
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Preservationists hit Kansas, Oklahoma stops along the Mother Road
- Local News
-
-
City wants to buy weather radios for those without
Phil Jones had been working on a construction project outside his house all day on May 22 and was unaware that a tornado watch had been issued. Once he was inside, though, his weather radio went off, and he learned that a warning had been issued.
-
Architects present preliminary JHS plans at community meeting
Reaction appeared mostly supportive Thursday night among the roughly 50 people who attended a community meeting at which architects presented their preliminary site plans for the future combined Joplin High School and Franklin Technology Center.
-
Confessed shooter testifies against co-defendants in Pittsburg murder case
Rickey Smith testified Thursday that as he came in the back door of Ryan Bailey’s home in Pittsburg with a 9 mm pistol in his hand, Bailey looked up from the couch in his living room.
-
School district’s proposed street-closing plan questioned
Plans to close some streets near the proposed Joplin High School drew questions, including a challenge from a former Joplin mayor, during a public hearing this week.
-
Neosho council approves new golf cart contract
The purchase of golf carts was back on the agenda this week for the Neosho City Council. City Attorney Steve Hays said there were errors in the financing terms that were part of a bid approved last month for the purchase of 55 gas-powered carts from E-Z-Go for $144,195, so the purchase of a new fleet was rebid.
-
Mike Pound: Spirit of competition evident during double-overtime game
When I played basketball in high school, I played in several very close games.
Now, some people who may have known me in high school are probably laughing right now and saying, “What Mike meant to say is that when he was in high school, he came very close to playing in some games.” -
Mo. optometrist filed $40 million refund claim
A southwest Missouri optometrist who filed a tax return claiming a $40 million refund has been sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.
-
Okla. receives waiver from No Child Left Behind
Oklahoma’s top education official reacted with glee Thursday with the announcement that the state is one of 10 states being granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law that requires students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 — but focused on getting students to “just pass the tests.”
-
Kan. House approves bipartisan redistricting bill
Power in the Kansas House is likely to shift next year from rural parts of the state to the Kansas City area after members overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Thursday for redrawing their districts.
-
Fugitive in 1993 British heist arrested in Ozark
A man suspected of stealing about $1.5 million from a security van in England in 1993 has been arrested in southwest Missouri.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
