Great pie, dinners shared with friends, almost 5,000 miles
through a dozen states, gum beating for fun and profit, memory making events shared with my dearest friend, networking and educational opportunities, Facebook live programs from the road, and a couple of book signings will dominate the schedule for the rest of this month. It all begins today, October 7, with the last Chillin on Beale for 2017 in Kingman, Arizona. This will be a big blow out event; Craig Parish’s Route 66 Motor Tour will be in town to join the festivities, the Octoberfest is going on at the west end of Beale Street, the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation raffle for a replica 1904 to benefit the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum takes place this evening, and artist Gregg Arnold and I will be hosting a Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook live program from the event.
Then on Sunday, October 8, its an adventure with the Route 66 Cruisers. The club is inviting one and all to join them on a cruise along Route 66 to Grand Canyon Caverns. A free informal car show, and special price for a caverns tour and lunch are just a part of the fun.
On the evening of the 9th, the historic military vehicle convoy that has been following Route 66 westward will make an overnight stop in Kingman. Once again Ken Conaway, Gene Kirkham, and Paul DeNublio, the event coordinator, and their army of volunteers are rolling out the red carpet for visitors to ensure a memorable evening. Details on these and other Kingman area events are listed on the website and Facebook page for Promote Kingman, your best source for area information.
Then on the morning of the 10th, I will be speaking about the infancy of the American auto industry and signing books at Ramada Kingman for Sam Murray’s New Zealand based Gilligan’s Route 66 Tours. I always enjoy these engagements but this one will be something special. One of the clients made special arrangements to ship and then drive his 1934 Plymouth on this Route 66 odyssey!
On the evening of the 13th, at 6:00 P.M. I will be making a Route 66 bucket list presentation, and signing copies of my new book 100 Things To Do On Route 66 Before You Die at Bookworks in Albuquerque. A full schedule of my fall promotional trip with addresses and times is available on the Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook page.
The following day, at 11:00 in the morning, I will be speaking on the Route 66 renaissance, heritage tourism, and economic development at the historic Plaza Hotel in the original Las Vegas, the one in New Mexico. Then, at 3:00 on the same day, I will be signing copies of my new book at Tome on the Range located directly across the plaza from the hotel.
Ultimately our destination is the Miles of Possibilities Conference in Joliet, Illinois where I am to speak on Kingman area tourism, 1900 to 2020. I will be also signing books, and have copies of episode one and two of the new video series Jim Hinckley’s America: A Trek Along Route 66 produced by MyMarketing Designs, the company behind the Promote Kingman and Promote Route 66 initiatives.
And that takes us to the title of today’s post. Lets start with this post from the Jim Hinckley’s America Facebook page to open the conversation. “Folks, have I got a deal (or two) for you! If your attending the Miles of Possibilities conference, pre-order a copy of my latest book and the cost is just $15 (a savings of $3.00), pre-order episode one or two of the new video series for $12 each, or both episodes for $20 (a savings of $10). The deadline for ordering is October 12. And if your NOT pre-ordering, can I get a head count on who wants copies to ensure I have enough on hand in Joliet? To pre-order – paypal.me/JamesHinckley Please include email address. If you are unable to pick up your copies in Joliet, a shipping charge will apply. We hope to see you there! If you would like a copy delivered during our travels, that would require special arrangement to coordinate schedules. Drop me a note!”
And another excerpt from the Facebook page. This one pertains to a new book that is being provided exclusively to patrons through a crowdfunding initiative recently launched.
“Here we go! Chapter one of exciting new book will be made available to patrons tonight at midnight. Don’t miss an episode, become a patron for as little as $5.00 per month! https://www.patreon.com/jimhinckleysamerica
Here is an excerpt from chapter one – Blood in the Boardrooms
Markin had prepared for this by acquiring options on large blocks of stock. The Raskob investment group were betting that Markin did not have the approximately $1 million needed to exercise those options and regain control of the company, and they were correct.
Markin, however, had developed a lucrative business relationship with E.L. Cord that included the use of engines built by Lycoming Manufacturing Company, a company controlled by Cord, for the Model M introduced in 1932. In a complicated arrangement that would later contribute to cause for an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and subsequently the indictment of both men, Markin signed his options over to Cord who immediately exercised them, reinstated Markin as president, and restructured the board of directors.
With acquisition of Checker Cab Manufacturing Company, Cord transferred the manufacture of taxis built for Cleveland based Saf-T-Cab Corporation by Auburn Automobile Company, another Cord controlled manufacturer, to the Checker facilities in Kalamazoo. Checker built taxis continued the use of Lycoming engines. An additional cost saving measure was the utilization of body plans, with slight adjustment for the Checker Model Y that appears almost identical to the Auburn sedans.”
That about wraps this up for today. Blog posting for the next few weeks will be sporadic at best but you can follow the exploits through the Jim Hinckleys America Facebook page, including Facebook live programs, Instagram, and Twitter. Even better, I hope that our paths will cross on the road.
