A VERY MIXED BAG FROM MY CORNER OF ROUTE 66
When I finish a writing project my office looks as though a bombed library had been frosted with newspaper clippings, note pads, magazines and an assortment of items ranging from a magnifying glass to coffee cups, from business cards to shipping cartons. Oddly enough, when working on a project I am able to reach into the vast pile and find what is needed without a great deal of searching.
Well, this mornings post is sort of like my office at the end of a project. So, please bear with me as I clear things out in an effort to organize before taking on the next assignment.
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| An old Chevrolet dealership in El Reno |
A few days ago I initiated a thread on the general discussion forum for the Antique Automobile Club of America, as well as on the forum for Desotoland, a site for De Soto enthusiasts, about old dealerships and related items found along Route 66. In particular I noted the old De Soto – Plymouth sign on an empty garage in Carthage, Missouri.
Well, here is another old dealership with rather obvious origins. This one is in El Reno, Oklahoma.
Now, a couple of notes about The Route 66 Encyclopedia. I have not figured out a reasonable way to ship the book to international customers (one mailed to Australia incurred just over $20.00 in postage).
So, at this time signed copies are being sold through the blog utilizing Paypal (ordering information is at the above this post) but shipping fees are for domestic customers only. I will ship internationally but do request you contact me first to eliminate any surprises about additional cost.
Few things will make an author happier than notes of appreciation from readers. In fact, the only thing that may be better than this is to receive kudos from peers or from people that have served as an authors inspiration. With that in mind imagine how many notches I will have to let the hat band out after having Michael Wallis tell me he found The Route 66 Encyclopedia enjoyable.
Next on my list, the Brunswick Hotel renovation. If you have interest in a Route 66 business opportunity, and have hotel, restaurant, or cafe management experience, you might want to talk with the owner of this property. Here is a link for a site with details as well as PDF files of the building plans.
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| Robbie Wright, Axiom Remodeling, and Elmer Graves, owner of the Old Trails Garage, display the first in a series of window insert murals by acclaimed artist Sandy Rusinko before installation last week. |
I am quite excited to announce that the floor plans for the restaurant, lobby, and bar on the ground floor indicate the Hinckley Gallery will be on the east end of the property. My dearest friend and I have signed on to create a lobby gallery, a location we will also utilize as a small book store, Route 66 information center, and as a place to meet with tour groups as well as individuals traveling this legendary highway.
The east end of the historic district in Kingman, on Beale Street one block north of Route 66 (Andy Devine Avenue) is thriving as we have Dora’s Beale Street Deli, Sirens, antique stores, Redneck’s Barbecue, the Cellar Door, and Beale Street Brews, as well as Chillin’ on Beale. My hope is the Brunswick Hotel, and renovations to the historic Old Trails Garage, coupled with Mr. D’z, the Powerhouse Visitor Center, the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, and Locomotive Park, will bring this type of vitality to the west end of the district and that it will serve as a catalyst for development in the rest of the area.
Now, that takes us to the first stage of the historic district beautification project. Stage one is the west wall of the Old Trails Garage, a building that dates to 1915.
Years ago the windows on this wall were covered over. The concept behind this project is relatively simple – craft a shadow box type insert utilizing materials removed from the Brunswick Hotel to ensure a vintage look, and add a mural that presents the illusion of looking into a busy garage circa 1930.
Axiom Remodeling donated labor as well as materials for all of the window inserts. The first mural was funded through the Kingman Visitor Center. So, all that remains is to raise the $400 for each mural in the five remaining windows.
This takes me to Chillin on Beale, a great little event that takes place on the third Saturday evening of each month, April through October. In essence it is simply an evening of cars (antique, hot rod, rental cars, motorcycles, trucks, …), food, and just hanging out. So, if your plans include being in Kingman on a Saturday evening next year, you might want to plan that stop to coincide with Chillin on Beale.
Well, I just noticed the time. So, we will have to continue with this random posting on Sunday as I still have much to share.