ON ROUTE 66 WHERE IS THE OLDEST MOTEL OR BEST RESTAURANT?
After losing two months on the Route 66 encyclopedia project as a result of family crisis and business obligations, I am ready to kick this in to high gear. The goal behind the project is a simple one – create a ready reference source for the first 85 years of the highways history as well as a promotional vehicle for the highway as well as businesses along the route.
To accomplish this daunting task, and to ensure accuracy and relevance, I am requesting assistance. Here is a copy of a letter that was posted on the Route 66 Association of Missouri website.
Author Seeks Information for Route 66 Encyclopedia & Atlas
by Jim Hinkley
My goal with this project is to chronicle the first 85 years of Route 66 history, to preserve it for future generations, and to further fuel the resurgent interest in the highway.
To ensure this work is historically correct, provides a comprehensive overview of Route 66, and is as current as possible, I am petitioning historic societies, museums, businesses, and Route 66 organizations for assistance in the form of suggestions for material to be included, contact information, historic information, and information pertaining to the acquisition of material to be used as illustrations.
General topics for inclusion:
1) Community profile – a profile of each community on all alignments of Route 66.
2) Biographies – concise biographical sketches of individuals that have played key roles in the roads history. Examples; Bob Waldmire, Cyrus Avery, Michael Wallis, etc.
3) Notable events that are directly associated with Route 66 or its predecessor auto trails such as the National Old Trails Highway or Ozark Trail. Examples; the Desert Classic automobile races 1908 – 1914, the Bunion Derby, etc.
4) Predecessor highway history – the National Old Trails Highway, Ozark Trail, etc.
5) Current businesses and their history – this category would be historic or new businesses such as Pops in Arcadia and Afton Station in Afton.
6) Historic businesses now closed – examples for this category would include the Painted Desert Trading Post and Coral Court Motel.
7) Route 66 entertainment – television shows and movies filmed on Route 66 or locations that were used in these films.
8) Personal stories – short stories of personal experiences on Route 66 that will serve to illustrate its evolution.
Thank you for the assistance.
Contact information:
Jim Hinckley
1308 Stockton Hill Rd.
Suite A, PMB 228
Kingman, AZ 86401-5190
jimhinckley@yahoo.com
Voyageur Press/Quayside Publishing – publisher
Text and photography by Jim Hinckley, author of Ghost Towns of the Southwest, Backroads of Arizona, Route 66 Backroads, The Big Book of Car Culture, Ghost Towns of Route 66 (fall 2010), and contributor for the compilation Greetings from Route 66 (fall 2010).
It is already looking as though the liberal editorial guidelines of 125,000 to 150,000 words will be inadequate so this may very well be volume one. Now, there is an interesting thought.