by jimhinckleysamerica | Jul 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
This weekend the primary obstacle to concentrating on the task at hand, namely working on the Route 66 historic atlas in an effort to get ahead of schedule before departing for Joplin was the weather. It was absolutely picture perfect – slight breeze, an intermittent misty rain, and a high temperature in the 82 degree range.
This was not a day to be in the office working on a book, or anything else. This was a day for long walks, sitting on the back porch with my dearest friend and reading a good book, or just simply watching the cloud shadows dance across the face of the mountains.
I did make time for a bit of porch sitting but the majority of the weekend was spent with my backside chained to a chair amidst towering piles of notes, files, and reference books. The price we pay for success, or eating on a regular basis …
The primary focus this weekend was on developing the crime scene and disaster sections for the new book. In recent years the old double six has become a happy place, a sort of time capsule with an overlay of Disneyland. Even fans of the double six have trouble looking beyond the tail fins and neon into the dark corners and recesses, the places where mayhem and tragedy lurk.
So, I have assigned myself the task of shining a bit of light into those very dark places. As you may have suspected, a few of those corners are quite dark indeed.
Case in point, a particularly gruesome case in Collinsville, Illinois during the 1920s. Apparently an argument between two roommate miners over a beer escalated and one of the gentlemen killed the other one. Then, while enjoying a pleasant dinner washed down with the aforementioned beer, he leisurely cut up the corpse of his former friend.
My assumption is that the murderer was a bit intoxicated when it came time to dispose of evidence. How else can you explain the fact that he disposed of the body parts in a nearby creek, tossed the knives in a cistern, but neglected the brain left in the washroom?
A few of the incidents predate the old road but were so fascinating I felt they should be included, especially since they took place at a time when people were driving automobiles across the country.
In Tucumcari, just before 1910, a disgruntled son-in-law decided to eliminate the father-in-law. Then he, and a couple of friends, hit the dusty trail with a posse, on horseback, in hot pursuit.
In the first engagement the outlaws won and young member of the posse died amongst the sage. The second encounter ended with one of the outlaws dying of a mortal wound.
And so it went for several days but now there were several posses in pursuit. More research is needed but it appears as though the assassin made it to Albuquerque and disappeared. His partners weren’t so fortunate.
A few of the crimes read like stories from today’s headlines. As with every study of history they have a tendency to change an individuals perspective.
In 1952, in Grants, New Mexico, a pair of brothers had decided that the only thing that kept them from moving on to bigger things than petty crime was patrolman Nash Garcia. So, on April 11, 1952, the brothers waited until spotting Garcia’s patrol car, and then set out on Route 66 at a high rate of speed whipping through red lights and weaving in and out of traffic.
Just west of town they turned onto a dirt road and waited in ambush. As officer Garcia turned onto the road in pursuit, one of the brothers armed with a high powered rifle put a round through the windshield. When the officers car came to a stop, they pulled Garcia from the car and beat him with the rifle until the stock broke. They hid the body and patrol car, then they returned and set fire to the car, something that led to their arrest.
Crime scenes, hitchhiking serial killers and psychopaths were but one part of my literary adventure this afternoon. The rest was stories of disasters such as passenger train wrecks five miles west of Tucumcari in the 1930s, a horrible bus crash at the Isletta crossing in 1930, or floods at Hydro and Needles that washed cars as well as buses from the road.
Fortunately I am balancing this quest to craft a three dimensional picture of life on Route 66 when it truly was the Main Street of America with things a bit lighter. So, the next writing session will be devoted to chronicling the development of happy places such as the Chain of Rocks Amusement Park, Grand Canyon Caverns, and Fairyland Park.
After that, I will spend a bit of time in uncovering places with a celebrity association, or that may have appeared in a movie or two. That should be interesting.
Next on the list for the weekends tasks – getting a presentation together for Dale Butel’s next tour group from the land down under, boxing the staggering array of material I am taking to Joplin (books, photographic prints, promotional materials from places up and down the road, etc.), and plotting the daily schedule for the road trip.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Jul 20, 2013 | Uncategorized
Another grand week is about to become history. On the horizon, another week of adventures planned and unplanned. Then, a grand adventure, the road trip to the Route 66 International Festival.
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Right to left, Nick and Mark Gerlich,
author Jim Hinckley |
As a highlight of every week is the opportunity to share the secrets of Route 66, and its predecessors, and the history of Kingman with visitors, or through my work, this past week was a true delight. Route 66 explorer extraordinaire Nick Gerlich, and his brother, Mark, stopped by on their westward journey and I gave them the fifty cent tour.
We started with the scenic site of Fort Beale, moved on to the old wagon road in the shadow of White Cliffs, and then the pre 1920 alignment of the National Old Trails Highway through Slaughter House Canyon. The evening was rounded out with fascinating conversation over dinner at the Dambar.
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Left to right, Eric Stronk, author Jim
Hinckley,and Oscar Stronk |
Sometimes the fun in these adventures has a residual affect months in the making. Quite often these manifest as photos sent weeks or months afterwards, a note of thanks, or a note that ends with “see you next year.”
As an example, Oscar Stronk sent this photo of me, and his brother, Erik, taken during a dinner with a tour group from Holland. The picture brought a smile to my face as this was a most wonderful evening filled with laughter, conversation, friends new and old, and good food.
At this juncture I would be quite remiss if it were not noted that it is truly my pleasure to meet with individuals or tours, to answer questions, or to sign books. However, if you or your group would like something a bit more formal or structured, I also offer a full
tour service for the Kingman area, as well as
speaking engagements tailored to specific interests. In regard to the latter service, I am not limited to Kingman and with enough notice, can travel to speak at an event or festival.
As I have been tasked with development of the promotion and its multifaceted components for the soon to be announced big event that will take place in Kingman next year, there are boundless opportunities for the most interesting adventures.
Case in point, harnessing endeavors to transform Route 66 into the nations first electric highway as a promotional venue for the event. To that end the organizers are developing Chillin’ on Beale, an obviously enlarged edition, into a display of more than a century of automotive history with an emphasis on alternative energy vehicles of the past, present, and future.
Well, my search for components that will garner extensive media interest, as well as interest in people attending the event is off to a very good start. Don Robertson of the Gold King Mine in Jerome has offered to bring his 1902 Studebaker with serial number 3. Purportedly this is the oldest operational Studebaker in the world, an addition to the event that will be difficult to top.
In my spare time, I share my fascination for the history, the people, the culture, and the magical places on the back roads of America through my writing. The only thing better than knowing I provided a bit of promotion for someplace special like the Blue Swallow Motel or the Wagon Wheel Motel through my work, it to hear from a reader that my books inspired an adventure.
This photo sent by Oscar Stronk provides a bit of a hint about the role one of my books played in his adventure planning. If I were to judge by appearances, my guess is that he found a wide array of reference points in this book.
Speaking of writing, I had best get to work. Today its work on the Route 66 historic atlas, and research that will include perusing another few hundred newspapers from the 1920s and 1930s.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Jul 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
In my corner of the world it was a pretty good day. Of course, its not hard to have a good day as my office window fronts Route 66, I drive to work on Route 66, live in a town immortalized in the Route 66 anthem penned by Bobby Troup, and as a result of my published work, have developed a wide array of international friendships and acquaintances which means most every day some one stops by to say howdy.
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An old sign in Carthage, Missouri
I am eager to check on. |
As a bonus, I live in Arizona with its vast, ever changing Technicolor landscapes and am fortunate enough to have had a very dear friend to share three decades of grand and sometimes wild adventures with. Still, there was just something special about today.
I am not sure if it was the stunning sunrise, driving to work behind the wheel of Barney the Wonder truck, an opportunity to reminisce about Bob Waldmire with his brother, Buzz, or the anticipation of having an opportunity to show Nick Gerlich, and his brother, often overlooked segments of the National Old Trails Highway, and a few wagon roads, tomorrow evening. Perhaps it was all of this and the fact that in less than two weeks we will be on the road to Joplin for the 2013 edition of the Route 66 International Festival.
I know it wasn’t resultant of the job. The first half of the day was spent working on trucks in the yard, and the second half was spent in the office shuffling papers and dealing with a computer issue.
Any excuse for a road trip, especially one that involves Route 66, is cause for excitement but the festival magnifies the building anticipation exponentially. This event is two-thirds family reunion and one-third old fashioned street fair.
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| Barney the Wonder truck at Cool Springs. |
For us its an opportunity to once again visit with acquaintances and friends, on the road as well at the festival, such as Kevin and Nancy, Vickie, Joe Sonderman, Steve Rider, Rich Dinkela, Joe Loesch, Michael Wallis, the legendary Melba, and so many others. I have little doubt that it will be a most memorable adventure.
A twist on this particular trip is the still unresolved question of exactly who will be accompanying me. Resultant of family issues, my dearest friend may have to set this one out. My son has been invited but family and employment issues may not allow it. Bill, a friend from work and all around good guy, has offered to ride shotgun. Then there is the possibility of a solo run with old tunes from long haul days, not something I am unfamiliar with even though it has been many, many years.
As always I am extending my offer to take rack cards or promotional materials from Route 66 businesses, communities, or museums to the festival. I can display these along with my books, and perhaps, get a plug in for any place that folks show interest in. If I may be of service in this regard, send me a note but keep in mind the road trip begins before 6:00 AM on July 30.
And if you have interest in Route 66, and will be at the festival, look me up. In addition to autographing copies of my books, I will have promotional materials from a wide array of places on the road and would be pleased to assist with your Route 66 travel planning.
As far as catching me on the road between Kingman and Joplin or between Joplin and Kingman, that could be a challenge. Once again this is a tightly scheduled trip.
The plan is to be on the road by sunrise on Tuesday the 30th with the destination for day one being either Santa Rosa or Las Vegas, right at 590 miles in either case. Day two should end with a stop somewhere in the vicinity of Oklahoma City. Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday will be spent in Joplin. Then, on Sunday, we will shoot for someplace between Shamrock and Amarillo. If Croc isn’t around we will most likely end up at the Chalet Inn in Groom (think very basic, very clean, very quiet, and very reasonable).
Monday will end at Grants or Gallup. It its the latter we will see the sun rise from the El Rancho Motel. That means another opportunity for a breakfast of Atole and Navajo tea.
In either case, I need to be back in Kingman by Tuesday evening. So, if you want to get together for coffee along the way drop me a note and lets see what we can do.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Jul 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
As you may have discerned from the title of today’s post, I have a need to vent via satire, observations about life, and just a hint of very dark comedy. I suppose the best place to begin is with the proverbial straw that broke the camels back, an item mentioned in previous posts.
In my office the front counter is a glass topped showcase filled with a wide array of Route 66 and automotive displays that run the gamut from a nifty vintage Cozy Dog pop up given to me by Bob Waldmire to an owners manual for a ’53 Chevy truck, a 1926 Kelly Blue Book, an original strip map for the Dixie Highway, and a 1939 service station calendar from Winslow, Arizona that has a Route 66 shield and address. Among the items that seems to attract the most attention is a little paper back book published in 1959 by Good Housekeeping, and sponsored by Phillips 66 Petroleum Company entitled Handbook for the Woman Driver.
Well, even though I change the display on a somewhat regular basis this item always remains as I find the response it generates to be quite fascinating. At this juncture I should note that the content is quite unoffensive – how to change a tire, check the oil, what to be aware of when purchasing a used car, things to watch for at service stations when traveling alone, etc.
Obviously the book sparks a lot of good old fashioned, largely politically incorrect, joking and ribbing. However, in recent years, as the straight jacket that is politically correct thought tightens on American society, I have noticed that more and more people are taking offense to the book.
Obviously they are unaware of the old adage that one should not judge a book by its cover. Of course, to do so would require thinking instead of regurgitating, or not being so thin skinned that there is an honest risk of fatal paper cuts from one ply toilet paper.
In modern America where the Bill of Rights has been simplified to a right to not be offended, I can only imagine what would happen if I displayed a copy of the Green Book for the Negro Motorist or an advertisement for the 1903 Jaxon, a vehicle so easy to drive, “a child or women could operate it.”
History is far to important to have the subject constrained by the confines of the prevailing acceptable thoughts of the day. I may find gravity restrictive to my freedom of movement, and can proclaim it my right not to be restrained by it but there is a distinct risk of death or severe injury when I choose to exercise that proclaimed right, even if there is someone in government crazy enough to agree with me.
A nation or society that restricts the teaching of history, or even worse, trims it to fit what is deemed acceptable is no different than the individual that steps boldly from the observation deck of the former Sears Tower in Chicago. That individual may proclaim his right to be free from the constraints of gravity, and the legal system may be in agreement, but the results will always be catastrophic.
I may be fearful of the number 13 or 666, or may be bothered by the number 1492 because of its association with the dawn of American genocide but they can not be cast aside as a result of this. Try building a house or designing an automobile or calculating the distance to Mars by using only the numbers that please you and make you happy. I assure you, the results will be less than perfect.
This afternoons rant was sparked by an other wise pleasant young lady who was so incensed by the aforementioned book, she demanded the name of the companies owner so a formal complaint could be filed. She was so angered by the book there was serious concern of a stroke or seizure.
Now, where would an obviously intelligent young lady in her mid 20’s learn such high minded intolerance? What future does this women have when she has no way of knowing if this is the best of times, or the worst of times? You can adapt to blindness and fix poor vision with corrective lenses but how do fix a field of vision so narrow that you can look down a pop bottle with both eyes?
Okay, thank you for letting me vent. Next up, a return to our regularly scheduled programming.
by jimhinckleysamerica | Jul 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
More often than not when I read a posting here on the blog, there is a painfully sharp awareness that what constitutes normal in my world is just a tad bit different from how others would describe it. Case in point, the past seven day and the seven days looming on the horizon, fourteen days filled with frustration, chasing dreams, visitors, and a 1902 Studebaker electric automobile.
The majority of my customers at the office are pretty decent folks. However, there seems to be a growing percentage that leaves me worried by the fact that they are loose without supervision and that they may be using forks in public.
Case in point, a customer calls tens minutes before we officially open because the store in Upland, California where they are picking up the truck does not have their reservation. This customer claims they made the reservation, and paid for it at our office last Saturday.
We have no record of the transaction. Now the customer is screaming because they are being charged twice, because they do not have the money to pay for the rental, again, as they have allocated $100 for fuel to make the trip from California to Arizona.
Well, as it turns out the reservation was made in Yucca Valley, California, in a different name, for a pick up in Palm Springs. Even better, the customer had refused to give a credit or debit card number while making the reservation, and had made the reservation for a 12′ truck but was renting a 26′ truck.
Seldom is the week dominated by such zaniness and this week was no exception. As a bonus, I had a surprise visit from Dan Rice, the owner of 66 to Cali on the historic Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California who had decided to see Supai with a friend.
The rest of the week was consumed with the mundane tasks that consume so much of the day, research for the current book, a Route 66 historic atlas, the weekly radio program (Jim Hinckley’s America), and making reservations for the pending trip to Joplin for the Route 66 International Festival. I even managed to find time to crank out another automotive installment for Legends of America.
Frustration, like mundane tasks, is also simply a part of what we call life. For me frustration took on a new form last week, the request from a major corporation that I spend ten days as a guide, on Route 66, with clients.
There are few things I would enjoy more than this. Even better, the compensation offered was more than adequate. The frustration is that my vacation time will be consumed with the trip to Joplin.
The flip side of the coin came in the form of an extremely rare 1902 Studebaker. To give you an idea of rare this car is, the best estimate of production for that model year was twenty cars.
An integral part of the big shindig being planned for next year in Kingman is the inclusion of alternative energy vehicles (past, present, and future)as a centerpiece. Obviously an operational 1902 Studebaker should enhance the event quite nicely and so we are quite pleased that the owner has pledged display of the vehicle.
As we are eager to use the event to promote Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, discussions are ongoing with Rick (Becky’s Barn) who is deeply involved with promoting the venerable old road as America’s first electric highway. Wouldn’t a Route 66 rally, with Kingman as the final destination, for alternative vehicles be interesting?
For more information about the upcoming event in Kingman stay tuned for details or contact the Kingman tourism office.
Now, I noted that the next seven days look as though they will be just as normal. Well, lets see, there is the office, always a potential source for entertainment, replacement of the rear wheel bearings in the Jeep, again, a pending visit from explorer extraordinaire Nick Gerlich, and his brother, signing books for a tour group, notifying Jay Leno about the Studebaker in the hope it will spark enough interest for him to bring a car or two, another installment of Chillin’ on Beale on Saturday evening, making arrangements for a pending lunch with a group touring Route 66 from Germany, work on the radio program, work on the new book, developing promotion in anticipation of the release of Route 66 Treasures ….
