Route 66 A to Z
In about 1928, before establishing Bazell Modern Camp in Winslow, Arizona to capitalize on the ever increasing flow of travelers on Route 66, Grover Cleveland Bazell made his living as…
A Dark Day In Missouri
"On Saturday, January 2, 1932, a particularly tragic incident was proclaimed in banner headlines throughout the country. An event later known as the Young Brothers Massacre claimed the lives of…
It’s A Deal
With a population of just over 2,200 people Jonesville, Michigan is little more than a wide spot in the road on US 12. The scenic road is old. Before the…
Where The Streets Are Paved With Gold
"Route 66 was completely paved in Missouri as of January 5, 1931. The final section of pavement was just east of the Pulaski County line, near Arlington. Workers tossed coins…
Selling Everything On The Hog Including The Squeal
I admit it. A great deal of my time is spent giving thought to the lives of long dead people and then meditating on what lessons can be learned from…
Beyond The Route 66 Centennial
It was an era of hand crank telephones, Model A Fords, and unprecedented economic collapse. The onslaught of the Dust Bowl that would transform families into refugees and prosperous communities…
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
It was an unusual idea; build a light duty pick up truck, and wagon, that looked like a car, that drove like a car, that could easily be maintained, and…
Hard Times
"By most accounts it was a surprisingly mild day in late March 1933 when McLean County sheriff’s deputy Charles Adams, accompanied by a DeWitt county deputy, went to the grocery…
The World Was A Different Place
This past Friday morning before the Adventurers Club Live program from Victoria's Sugar Shack in Kingman, Arizona, Andy Sansom, archivist at the Mohave Museum of History & Arts surprised me…
No Hill To Steep, No Sand To Deep
Floyd Clymer's obsession with all things automotive was not unusual for a young man during the first years of the 20th century. What was unusual was his entrepreneurial spirit made…
David Buick, Louis Chevrolet and A Highway Signed With Two Sixes
If you are a fan of cast iron bathtubs with the white porcelain finish thank David Dunbar Buick. Does cruise control enhance your driving experience on long road trips? If…
Take The Children To See The Fad Before It Passes
One of the overlooked chapters from the story about the dawning of the American auto industry is how it went from being a circus sideshow curiosity to multi-million dollar industry…