Missouri Route 66

A Springfield Institution

2011-03-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

Built in 1962, and its owner, Gary Leonard, has made it a point to keep the retro-looking restaurant looking spiffy. It’s one of two surviving restaurants with the standard design from the 1950s and ’60s. The rest of them have either been altered or razed.

Original features in the downtown structure include:
- The main building, with a poured concrete floor, porcelain exterior wall panels and plate glass windows on glazed tile footings.
- The rooftop and street-side neon signs, and the painted wooden sign overlooking the parking lot’s southern end.
- The curb service window and counter.
- The kitchen cook line, stainless steel kitchen counters and tile kitchen floor.
- The original wood door on the rear entrance.

47th Studebaker International Meet

2011-03-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy Cruisin' the Mother Road to a special week with your
Studebaker friends.

June 19-25, 2011 Hosted by the SDC
and the Ozark Trails Studebaker Drivers Club
Held at the Ramada Oasis Convention Center
2546 N Glenstone Ave
Springfield, MO 65803

All 100 plus families of the Ozark Trails welcome you to Springfield. Our chapter encompasses members from the four state regions of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and others with ties to our area. We have successfully hosted the Orphan Car Show in Branson for fourteen years. We have been the host of several All Missouri Meets and all have been well received. We are now in preparation for another International Meet with some of the members that helped with the two previous meets and many new enthusiastic members with ideas and energy to add to the experience of those who have been a part of the chapter for 35 years. All will have a part in making this a Meet to remember.

The Studebaker Drivers Club Site <--For More Information!

Camera's in hand we'll see you there.
Get those Stude's shined up and lined up!

Get Your Kicks on Missouri's Route 66

2011-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Missouri Dvision of Tourism's Route 66 Video!

The 2011 Season On The Road

2011-02-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a long cold winter here on Route 66, but the weather is starting to turn with some days getting near 70 degrees so we are charging those batteries and making plans for a few road trips in the next couple of weeks. It's been awhile since we posting anything and we want to let our readers know...it won't be long before were back out on the road, tearing it up and shooting the pics for proof. So hang in there we'll find that hidden treasure, rusted wreck or tasty scenery you're dying to see. I make myself laugh! See you on the road.

T-Bird in the Woods

2010-05-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Just off Route 66 in Red Oak we found a woods full of old rusty autos and farm machinery. This great old T-Bird is a classic. I sure hate to see them in this condition.

IOOF Lodge in Avilla

2010-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Avilla we noticed the little town was full of old Route 66 era buildings. Some still used, some just a memory. We spoke with an old local that was very helpful, since we are country neighbors they tell us whatever we want to know and probably wouldn't be so outgoing to just a passerby looking to take a few pics. He told us this was the old IOOF lodge that he was a member of. Once an important service and social organization in town, it now sits abandoned.

stoproute66licensing.com

2010-04-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

A note from Johnnie v

Greetings roadies,

We have registered the domain stoproute66licensing.com and obtained web hosting space. We now have a placeholder page posted online at www.stoproute66licensing.com Since this is a new domain name, it might take up to 48 hours for the domain name to be recognized by all of the Internet's routers but most folks should be able to access the placeholder page now.

The web site is under construction.

The e-mail address info@stoproute66licensing.com is now activated.

We will construct the web site cataloging abuses by route66licensing.com.

We will provide well researched and documented resource information on the shield image, route 66, mother road and other identifiers claimed by route66licensing.com.

We will also expose the route66licensing.com tactics used to unethically register route 66 identifiers as trademarks in foreign markets.

After a fact-finding period, we will be organizing aggressive action against route66licensing.com

We should not expect a quick resolution and perhaps even no resolution at all, but we will publicize and expose route66licensing.com so that potential customers and the public can have the facts to draw their own conclusions. Given that route66licensing.com is based in the Netherlands, there are international issues that do not lend themselves to easy resolution.

This is an important issue since the actions of route66licensing.com are interfering with the ability of route 66 artists, authors, and entrepreneurs to offer their unique products to a worldwide market. This is especially egregious to U.S. based route 66 artists, authors, and entrepreneurs.

If an iconic image like the route 66 shield and the phrase "route 66' can be claimed by foreign entities, and even registered in foreign countries, a floodgate is open. Based on this route 66 test case, any U.S. public domain icon could be claimed as a trademark by a foreign entity and enforced in foreign markets.

This will be a volunteer team effort for and by route 66 artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and supporters. As tasks are identified, I hope we can recruit volunteers to take on certain tasks. In addition, we will be registering endorsers of our initiative and in the future we will invite all potential endorsers to add their business names or personal names to our online list of endorsers.

We welcome your ideas and input.

cheers,
Johnnie V

Glenstone Cottage Court

2010-04-29T19:19:00.001-07:00

Glenstone Cottage Court opened it's doors to Route 66 travelers in 1947 as the Greystone Cottage Court. It has remained virtually unchanged over the years.

Avilla Methodist Church Steeple

2010-04-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

This old church was in very good condition. It's metal covered steeple and stained glass windows were beautiful. Avilla has many original Route 66 icons still standing and being used.

Spencer Phillips 66 and Rick

2010-04-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our last stop was in the old town of Spencer. You have to jog off what you would think would be Route 66 to get here. Watch for Route sign. It's just a couple miles west of Paris Springs. Mark thought he needed to put me in the pic. The one he posted earlier was in 1946 with the owners son. This is me in 2010.

Avilla OutHouse

2010-04-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

As Mark and I traveled the road today I mentioned you don't see many outhouses anymore and of course one popped up a few minutes later in Avilla.. We both remember them but glad they are not used MUCH today.

Rest Haven Motel

2010-04-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

The Rest Haven sign is one of Springfield's most famous Route 66 icons. The photos shown above are from the 1950's. According to information I found, Springfield Neon constructed the sign and Munger Moss in Lebanon adapted it around 1953. The Rest Haven opened sometime in 1947 by a family named Brightwell who operated it until '79.

The signage today is in less than perfect shape. The AAA marking at the top is leaking water and is damaged according to the new owners. Let's hope they repair it to it's original condition.

The stonework is near perfect. The motel has changed very little over the years with the exception of filling in gaps between the units which truthfully ruined the charm of the property.

They also purchased the gas station which was in front of the motel. The station was raised and moved to the rear of the property and used for storage.

You can still see the rough lines of the station, the windows, sign and restroom door on the left.

The garage bay is below ground level and the building is starting to deteriorate.

It could be a fine example and possibly a tourist information center if properly restored. I wonder what kind of an impact the station would draw if left in front and restored to it's former glory. The owners of the Rest Haven would surely see an impact in traffic and tourists traveling the road. I can point to Gay Parita Sinclair in Paris Springs as an example. The biggest difference would be in the structure itself. The Rest Haven is the original building and Gay Parita is a repro. Phillips 66 is in my mind the premium brand of Route 66 in a visual link.

Lurvey's Motel

2010-04-27T02:03:00.001-07:00

In 1928 The Lurvey's pulled up their camp in Strafford and moved it west on Route 66 to 2939 E. Kearney. The photo above is how it looked in the 1950's. They had 12 sandstone units in six buildings. During the 1970's they were converted to rentals and are now boarded up and abandoned. The Lurvey Motel is just east of The Holiday Drive In and are in jeopardy of being lost forever.

If the city of Springfield were smart they would attempt to purchase these and make them into a tourist destination or a Route 66 Historical park, greeting Route 66 travelers. It would be a positive move for the North Springfield area which is in need of these types of attractions. The sandstone is still in great shape but the roofs are caving in. With some attention and a federal historical grant it could be converted.

Day Trip to Spencer & Avilla

2010-04-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

I loved the color of this rusted International I found in Avilla.

Rick and I spent the afternoon running the old Route 66 west of Springfield. We ran across the buck board milk wagon in Avilla. Rick should be posting up his photos soon.

Route 66 is well know for it's unusual yard ornamentation, this man eating frog was no exception. This is not trick photography or weird angles, this yard frog had to be at least 3 foot across and stood probably 3 feet high.

In Spencer, Missouri we found the old Phillips 66 Station and a small cluster of business fronts. Rick also has some more shots at Spencer. The 1946 picture below is of Carl Casey the son of the owner of Spencer. The business fronts included a barber shop, cafe, station and a garage. The restoration shows Phillips pumps from the 1960's but the originals shown are Tydol pumps, none-the-less a great stop on an original stretch of "The Road".

The Vulture of Route 66

2010-04-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Is this the future of Route 66's historic buildings? Maybe by looking at the condition of some of them. A consorted effort could revive some if federal grants were available.

This vulture perched atop an old building in the Route 66 corridor of Missouri could be an omen.

A Closer Look At Paris Springs

2010-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Gary Turner's Gay Parita Sinclair Station in Paris Springs MO is a must stop along old Route 66. Just west of Springfield, Paris Springs is like stepping into the past, Gary made sure of it. His collections and displays are open to the public for photo opportunities. He has Gay Parita Route 66 shirts as well as some other merchandise for collectors. Here is a closer look at some of his collection.

Graystone Heights Cabins

2010-04-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

With a grand plan to research these long forgotten cabins a story is sure to come forward.
Any information anyone might have would be appreciated.

UPDATE: I talked to the owner of the property and found that it was the Greystone Heights Cabins. According to John Schweke the owner, In 1935 Ben Brewer built six cabins which expanded to eight and was then ran by Shorty West. The Graystone property house a Conoco Service Station and a restaurant. A few years the Brumers bought the place and it is now R&S Floral.

We would appreciate any photos showing the original sign, the owners would like to restore the original sign to it's former glory. Please contact us.

1923 Triple Pony-Struss Bridge over Turnback Creek

2010-04-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

This pic is the 1923 triple pony-struss bridge on the old road over Turnback Creek west of Halltown, Mo. I have fished a lot of times under this bridge with my son. Lots of smallmouth and bluegill. Great place to catch a bunch of soft shelled craws, too.

Route 66 Below The Surface

2010-04-24T04:41:00.001-07:00

Old Route 66 can still be seen under the Glenstone viaduct at Trafficway in Springfield. The bridge was built in 1939 so I imagine this concrete is pre '39 and then it was not very wide.

Here's a shot from the 1950's looking North at the viaduct down Glenstone (Route 66)
The Rail Haven is on the left. This intersection has changed little over the years, I'll capture a shot from the same angle and post a bit later. The photographer of record for this photo is unknown, anyone know who is responsible? I'll credit them.

Updated 4-29-2001

Sinclair Service Garage

2010-04-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

This old truck sits next to the Sinclair service garage looks as it did 50 years ago. Garage is still used and truck runs. Located at Paris Springs Jct on Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks hill country.

Get your Route 66 On!

2010-04-21T18:59:00.001-07:00

Get yours here

A Look Back in Time

2010-04-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

At the Paris Springs Jct. on Route 66 west of Halltown, Mo. sits a Sinclair station that was refurbished to look as it once did. Picture on top is in 2010. Picture on bottom is the station in 1930's. The old station burnt down in 1955 and was rebuilt by Gary Turner in 2006.

Bonnie & Clyde's Gas & Go!

2010-04-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

Once home to "Irene's Quik Spuds," this red brick building, located under the Glenstone Avenue viaduct had once housed the gas station where Bonnie and Clyde had stopped for gas and a Coke after taking Tom captive. Some of the original Route 66 pavement can still be seen under the viaduct.

Photo from Skip Curtis's book "Springfield Missouri--Birthplace of Route 66".

A vintage photo of the gas station on Glenstone Avenue where Bonnie & Clyde got gas when they captured Tom Percell. It became the Quik Spud store, and now has been totally renovated with the addition of a large metal building to the north.

Queen City Oil, starting out as a flour and feed store, was built by Emral Brock and Oscar Hawkins in 1929. They soon started selling Standard gas, then Mobil, along with tires and dry goods. In 1939 a viaduct was built over them, effectively bypassing the station. They moved six blocks north on Route 66 and built an additional station. Queen City Oil, once housed Irene’s Quik Spuds, stayed in business into the 1980s. (1801 E. Trafficway)

~Robert H. Gibbons~

Now the home of Lockwell as it looks today.

(More info)

Springfield's Drive In Movie Theaters

2010-04-15T05:21:00.001-07:00

While many movie theaters in small American towns closed in the 1950s, an equal number of a new kind of theater, which recognized the supremacy of the automobile in American life, opened up.
In the 1920s concerned parents had been anxious about the effects of automobiles and movies on their children's morals; their grandchildren could now combine these menaces to their moral welfare at the drive-in.
The first drive-in movie theater opened in 1933, but they mushroomed in the decade after World War II.
Under a starry Alabama sky, surrounded by cotton fields, maple trees and the chatter of cicadas, the pick-ups and Chevrolets glow and flicker, lit by the colossal white screen.
Inside the cars parents and children settle in their seats, munching hot dogs. Love-struck teenagers snuggle up; the air fills with the glow of fireflies and smell of buttered popcorn. The lights of the tiny town of Centre, a mile away, are too dim to penetrate this enchanted scene. The movie begins. It could be 1953.
This was Saturday night, however, and across America, from this beautifully restored drive-in cinema in northeastern Alabama to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and the valleys of California, the same nostalgic scene was being played out in hundreds of locations. Despite the country’s enslavement to the internet, the video game and mobile phone, or perhaps because of it, baby-boomers are rediscovering their love of the drive-in movie while a new generation is being captivated.
By 1956 there were 4,200 drive-ins, earning nearly a quarter of total box-office receipts.
They were promoted as "the answer to the family's night out"; a way for married couples to avoid the expense of baby-sitters, but their real attraction was to the youth market, where teenagers could escape parental supervision.
The drive-in market encouraged a new kind of filmmaking, pioneered by Columbia producer Sam Katzman and American International Pictures (AlP). Discarding conventional formulas such as the Western, they geared their films solely for the teenage market, hooking a story on to any gimmick they could think of.
The success of Rock Around the Clock in 1956, and the cycle of rock 'n' roll movies that followed made it clear that "teenpics" could reap huge profits even. If they pointedly excluded an older audience. These mainstream productions spawned imitations, such as Teenage Crime Wave (1955) and Hot Rod Rumble (1957). In 1957, when the Everly Brothers sang Wake Up Little Suzy, about a teenage couple who fall asleep at the drive-in, there were about 5,000 outdoor cinemas in America. The other major "teenpic" genre was the horror film: low-budget "exploitation" movies (so-called because their 'publicity budgets were higher than their production costs), with titles like I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) were pumped out to provide the material for the double and triple-bills at the drive-ins.

(information provided by Atlantis International)

Holiday Drive-In
2829 E. Kearney St.
Springfield, MO 65803

The Holiday Drive-In opened in the late 1960's. It was a large drive-in for Springfield with a car capacity of 529. It was a single screen. The Holiday operated well into the late 1990's. Originally the sound was by traditional pole speakers but later by FM radio. The Holiday was demolished in March of 2005.

1966 photo of the screens construction.
Hi M Drive-In
901 W Republic Road
Springfield, MO 65809

Razed for a subdivision

Sunset Drive-In
4205 West Chestnut Expressway
Springfield, MO 65802

Razed for a trailer park

Springfield Drive-In
1943 East Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65802

Razed for Corporate Center now American Family Insurance Headquarters

Queen City Drive-In
3630 E. Sunshine St.
Springfield, MO 65809

Razed for Sam's Club

Bud's Tire & Wheel

2010-04-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Over 50 years ago, Bud Perry started a tire and wheel business on Route 66. Bud's Tire & Wheel, established in 1958, was one of the first businesses in Springfield, MO. to distribute custom wheels. Bud's located at 701 W. College in downtown Springfield, is still providing quality service to its customers on historic Route 66.

Bud has always been an advocate of Route 66 and it's rich history and it shows with his personal tributes to the Mother Road painted on his facility.

Bud's location was once the home to Jones Truck Lines prior to 1958. Jones rivaled Campbell 66 in it's day.
Jones Truck Lines pup trailer used for storage in Springfield, MO, taken in September 2001.

Jones Truck Lines Shop employees in 1965. Many of the old timers on Route 66 will remember the Transmission shop located right behind Bud's as seen in this picture.
Jones Truck Line International bob tail city truck and trailer parked in Webb City, MO. Photo taken June-04, 2004

About a block west on Route 66 (College Street) more evidence of Buds love of old Route 66!
and in the same vacinity at 1023 W. College is a mural depicting the Springfield Square in the late 1950's. A closer look will reveal an older Greyhound bus, a Campbells 66 Tractor Trailor and some local cruisers as well as some of the older structures in the 1950's. Make sure to ask Bud which car is his in the mural.(Click on images to enlarge)
Bud hosts a stop on the Route 66 Roadtrip each year. Hundreds of spectators, cars and Route 66 die hards travel through Springfield on their way across Missouri's Route 66.

Stop by Bud's and get a picture of the murals, you are always welcome according to Bud, tell him we sent you!

KICK Radio 1340AM

2010-04-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

KICK Rocked Route 66!

KICK 1340AM sits silent today, another faded memory of Route 66.

KICK was located at AM 1340 in Springfield and was the city's first Top 40 radio station. It launched in 1949 as a Mutual affiliate, but it struggled as a network station at a time when such programming was on it's way out. At that time Springfield had two heritage signals: KWTO (ABC) and KGBX (NBC), add to that two upstarts KTTS (CBS) and the new KICK (MBS). I'm sure with Springfield's size at the time, it was hard to make much money. I've heard they changed to a wall-to-wall Top 40 format somewhere between 1955 and 1957.

Woody P. Snow (Jay Stevens), Jim Bohannon, Les Garland (DJ voice in Starship's "We Built This City" and founder of MTV), Charles McCord (Don Imus sidekick), John Stevens, and others worked there in the early days of their careers. Other jocks from KICK include Don Woody, Jungle Jim Stanley, Mike Smith, Mark Marymont, Bob Brite, and Cliff House. In later years Dave Roberts would work there, along with Art Hains, and one of my favorite Lebanon jocks Mike Morris.

In the 70s KICK sprinkled more AOR cuts into their playlist and in the early 80s they would change to Oldies. Rock 99 and KGBX became bigger players in Contemporary music in the market around that time. By 1988 KICK picked up Satellite Music Network's "Pure Gold" format. "NOBODY PLAYS MORE OLDIES PER HOUR THAN K-I-C-K...(sfx: reverb) NOBODY!!!!"

KICK went dark in 1991. The 1340 frequency relaunched that same year as KIDS playing all Children's music. 1340 is now the home of KADI-AM.

KICK from 1949 until Sign Off and KIDS 'till 1993-1994 were housed in the 610 College Street on Route 66. KTOZ-AM also used this location until they went dark as well.

On Air Personalities

Charles McCord

Charles "Chucker" McCord was born in Joplin, Missouri, in poverty, the illegitimate son of an itinerant walnut tree logging family that wandered the American Ozarks plateau, looking for seasonal work. Date of birth, unknown, but generally believed to have occurred sometime during the Second World War.

Colicky, irritating as an infant McCord's parents would move to Springfield, Missouri when he was 18 months old to try to get away from him, and often longed for their very own "Nebraska child dump" type opportunity regarding him, according to individuals who were acquainted with the early McCord family and who found Charles equally unappealing.

After infancy, Charles became seventeen. Not too many years later, he turned twenty. It would be many, many years, however, before he was 47. His current age is an unreliable "ring count" estimate. Don't worry about it.

Abashed, touchy, even prickly over his lack of formal academic credentials, McCord resents anyone who is "well-educated"...and has adopted the unbecoming habit of taping a bumper-sticker message to the inside back window of the Rolls Royce he neither deserves nor would possess had he not lucked-out years ago and attached himself parasitically to Don Imus. It reads: "MY CHILD JUST BEAT THE S*** OUT OF YOUR HONOR STUDENT." Ugly.

Charles has worked in radio seemingly since the Pleistocene Epoch. He was employed by Springfield, Missouri radio station KICK after his father begged an acquaintance, and part owner of the company, to help get Charles out of the pool halls where he hustled nine ball.

Charles had "worked in radio" for one week at KICK when President Kennedy was assassinated. He denies any culpability himself. During the melancholy aftermath of that terrible event, the station's news/sports reporter became fall down, urp-on-your-shoes drunk, as was his habit. The station's general manager asked McCord if he could read. "Spotty," McCord replied, and was immediately appointed, 'newsman'. The first item McCord ever broadcast was an excerpt from Cardinal Cushing's eulogy to John Kennedy.

Charles then moved to a larger radio station in Springfield, then on to Dallas, Texas, where, ironically, he was employed by WFAA; a radio station owned by the Dallas Morning News at Dealey Plaza, the site of the JFK murder.

Some months later, McCord moved to station WWDC in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland...next, inside the District of Columbia to the Post/Newsweek-owned station, WTOP....and from there to WNBC in New York City where his personal "long, national nightmare" with broadcast legend Don Imus began. It continues to this day. Sad.

Charles has been married to his sister, Connie, for more years than either of them cares to think about. They have one child whom they deny. His name is Leslie. They believe he's in his early thirties, and they know that he has drained the McCord household of ALL disposable income building (thank God) a now successful document imaging business (AcuScan.com) in the state of Florida.

Today, Charles has no friends, hobbies, interests, outside activities or diversions -- opting, instead, to devote all of his energies to formulating the "perfect murder" of the legendary radio icon for whom he works.

He does embarrass himself at the piano, however...occasionally flies single engine aircraft (poorly)...lets his carefully restored Jaguar E-type roadster rot in the garage...and finds mild enjoyment taunting his wife's champion Boston Terriers, all of whom are named for various St. Louis Cardinal baseball standouts -- to the players' dismay, doubtless, were they ever to find out.

Charles has, only very recently, reached a personal decision to clear his conscience and admit that he is the father of Octomom's children, and wonders if any money is involved. Especially if, somehow, he could just get all of them into a balloon.

Jim Bohannon
A true broadcasting veteran, Jim Bohannon began his career back in 1960 at his hometown station, KLWT-AM in Lebanon, MO. While attending Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Jim was a disc jockey at KICK radio, and then a newsman at KWTO.

After college, Jim served in the U.S. Army security agency, including spending a year in Vietnam with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Jim was at Long Binh, Vietnam, during the "Tet" offensive.

The Army transferred Jim to Washington, DC, where he has spent most of his professional career. That includes work at DC news stations WTOP and WRC. From 1980 to 1983, Jim worked for WCFL in Chicago, doing the morning show there while working afternoons at CNN's Chicago bureau. It was during that time that Jim began filling in for the legendary Larry King on his Mutual Broadcasting System talk show. Westwood One later purchased Mutual, and in 1993, when Larry's radio show shifted to daytime, the nighttime show became The Jim Bohannon Show we know and love.

The Jim Bohannon Show, which can be heard on more than 300 hundred radio stations nationwide, is a three hour show that includes interviews with a wide spectrum of interesting guests, discussions, debates on issues of the day, and one hour of open phones featuring telephone calls from listeners in Washington, DC, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, Alaska, and the Virgin Islands just to name a few. Jim is also is a frequent speaker and freelance announcer, and serves as one of the stable of voiceover announcers for the CBS News program Face The Nation. In addition to hosting The Jim Bohannon Show, Jim also hosts the early morning news magazine America in the Morning, which is featured each weekday morning here on 1450 WWJB! Whether it's a big vote before Congress, or the latest celebrities headlines, Jim is on the air on top of the story with the newsmakers who are on the scene.

Join us weekday evenings on AM 1450 WWJB from 10PM to 1AM for The Jim Bohannon Show, and again weekdays from 5 to 6AM for America In The Morning with... yes, you guessed right: Jimbo!

More information about Jim Bohannon is available by visiting his official Web Site: www.jimbotalk.net

Jay Stevens Woody P. Snow
A background check reveals that Jay started in radio at KSOZ at College of the Ozarks. After a two year stint in the Army he returned to his home state and worked at KDEX in Dexter, MO, then back to the Ozarks for a three year period at KICK, the “TOP 40” station in Springfield. It was during this time that Jay wrote the hit song, ROCKY, then decided to retire to Miami, Florida.

He Changed his on air name to Woody P. Snow.

Being a beach bum didn’t work out so Woody took a job at WQAM, then WMJX (96X), then WSDO (STUDIO 107). He returned to Springfield to take the morning show gig at 1260 KGBX-AM. This was the station that had the pig (BO DURAC). When that station changed management Woody took an offer to host the morning show at ROCK 99. Here he stayed for another three years till a station in Boston, MA. (WVBF) called and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. The problem with THIS gig, he says, was that the show was from 2 to 6 PM. “I hated not being on in the morning.”

Then another lucky phone call from Salt Lake City where Woody became the morning host at KLUB. Although he loved this station and the mountains and the Mormons, something in his heart kept calling him back to Springfield.

So it was back to the Ozarks to do the morning show at US-97. “This was the lowest point in my career and I was actually going to quit the radio business. But then I didn’t have to ‘cause I got fired. I was thinking about becoming an astronaut when John Borders from Dallas called. (How do they get my number?) He said he was going to put KGBX back on the air as an FM Adult Contemporary format and wanted me to be the morning man. I’ve been here ever since. It’s the best group of radio people I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of. I’m still enthused every morning.”

Rock Fountain Court Revisited

2010-04-12T18:07:00.001-07:00

I spent this morning visiting with the Rock Fountain Court - (Melinda Court) owner Carol Gunther about the Court. She graciously gave me the full tour of the place. I explained that I was looking for something more about the Rock Fountain than what was available online. According to Carol, who has been the owner since 1978, rumor has it that the Legendary Bonnie and Clyde once stayed in #2. So we went to take a look.

It's not often you get a chance to look inside a motor court of this era, let alone a place where Bonnie & Clyde might have shacked up. So I begged my way inside to take a few pictures and Carol explained that little has changed in the structure since it was built. Sure the linens might be new, but the original woodwork, doors, and fireplaces are still as is. You can see the door is quite unique with the ornamental ledge and 6 pane windows. The hardware on this unit has been replaced. It was as if I was in a different time frame as I looked around. This unit was originally a two bedroom, small but cozy. The bathroom had the original fixtures, the ceiling lights were also the original and the fireplace was still intact. I'll bet you would be hard pressed to find a fireplace in any motel today.
Amazingly it is still functional but now unused due to insurance restrictions I am sure. The court is also now a weekly rental.

The second bedroom is quite small and has been converted into a storage place for a microwave and fridge.

The light fixtures were also period and with many coats of paint. I was glad to see it as it was when Route 66 rolled through town.
Carol points to the original bed they would have slept on.
Carol also pointed out something for postcard collectors, the original and the repro. Make sure to look at the color on the two and note the newer version is a copy from 1978 when they took over the Court and had them redone.
I want to thank Carol for her time and for the tour. Stop in and see her sometime.

The Rock Fountain Court was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

The Old & New Together in Time

2010-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of miles outside of Halltown we see the past and the now. This old house was once the home of farm folks living off the land during the great days of Route 66. Now the brushy land just points to a modern RV park. The buildings may rot, but the memory of the 'Road' lingers on.

2010-04-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

The first town on Route 66 west of Springfield is Halltown. I remember as a child when this little town was busy with traffic and business. Now it's just a quick pass through with very few stores still open and a only handful of people call it home.

Woodruff Building

2010-04-11T18:41:00.001-07:00

The Woodruff Building. As it looked in the Route 66 heyday! The postcard was published by the E.C. Kropp Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was probably made before the building was constructed, which was in 1910. The Woodruff was one of three new Springfield buildings opened to the public with much fanfare on February 1, 1911, the other two being the Republican Building and the Frisco Building.

The Woodruff Building sits on the northwest corner of St. Louis Street and Jefferson Avenue on the east side of the Square. It was owned by, and named for, Springfield attorney and investor John T. Woodruff. The ten-story office building contained a drugstore, barber shop, pool hall and two elevators. Since this was Springfield's first skyscraper, a light-hearted newspaper piece from 1910 tells of the danger of people's hats falling off their heads when they look up at the tall building.

In 1929, John T. Woodruff sold the building to F.X. Heer for $700,000. In 1959 the Woodruff building was expanded, adding 23,000 additional square feet to what was already Springfield's largest office building. The cost was estimated at $650,000. In August of 1994 Warren Davis, a Bolivar businessman purchased the building from the Heer-Andres Company for an undisclosed amount. Through the years the building has been a popular office choice for lawyers because the Missouri Court of Appeals was located there.

Here is the Woodruff Building as it looks in 2010!

Route 66 West on College Street

2010-04-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

The view to the west immediately off the square in Springfield on Route 66. Busy Bee Clothing was down and on the left at Campbell Street it is now Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill's Office. On the right at the corner is Harbell Athletic Goods a mainstay in Springfield for sporting goods.
Leaving the Springfield Square traveling west on Route 66. Rubensteins Fine Clothing is on the left, now a night club. On the right is the new Hollywood Theater. Lots of changes on old 66!

Gillioz Theatre

2010-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Gillioz Theatre sits aside the Woodruff building. The eleventh day of October in 1926 is a memorable date in the history of America. It is the day that a numerical designation was assigned to a Chicago-Los Angeles route and "The Mother Road" was born.
But the designation of Route 66 was not the only landmark happening on that date. The Gillioz Theatre opened that day and it opened on a section of Route 66 known as St. Louis Street in downtown Springfield, Missouri.

(Notice the brick road and the electric street car tracks)

With 1130 seats, an orchestra pit, and the very latest in projection equipment, the Gillioz was the largest and finest theatre in Southwest Missouri. Originally designed for both stage shows and silent films, sound equipment was soon added to accommodate the new "talkies".

The Gillioz Theatre was originally built and opened on October 11, 1926, by road and bridge contractor M.E. Gillioz of Monett, Missouri. The theatre entrance is located on St. Louis Street, which is also Historic Route 66. Originally designed as a transition theatre, the Gillioz possessed a pipe organ so that it could be used for both live performances and silent movies. In its early years, the Gillioz was Springfield’s premier entertainment venue, hosting a number of movie premiers, including “Swing Your Lady,” “The Winning Team,” and “She’s Working Her Way Through College”.

In 1980, the Gillioz Theatre was forced to close when business moved from downtown to new suburban malls and strip malls.

When the Springfield Landmarks Preservation Trust (SLPT) purchased the Gillioz and the adjacent Jim D. Morris Building in 1990, they were told that the theatre was built so strong that it would cost just as much to tear down as it would to preserve. Because of the material M.E. Gillioz had access to, the Gillioz Theatre is built like a bridge, with steel and concrete, using wood for only the handrails, doors, and doorframes. Though the Gillioz Theatre was originally built for $300,000, the restoration quote was around 1.9 million dollars.

For sixteen years the SLPT worked with local private, public, and political entities to help fund what has now become a 10 million dollar project. The restoration was completed October 2006. Many people attending the Gillioz Theatre reopening were able to recall the first time the Gillioz opened. They remarked that the Gillioz was more splendorous than they ever remembered.
1956 May 16: Elvis was spotted at the Gillioz Theatre after sneaking away between his matinee and evening performances at the Shrine Mosque

Visit The Gillioz

College Street Cafe

2010-04-11T18:05:00.001-07:00

The College Street Cafe has been around for some time, it was just across and up the street west of the Sky Ranch Drive In, and is still operational today serving a great breakfast...come hungry.

Rock Fountain Court

2010-04-11T17:51:00.001-07:00

“One of Springfield’s best. Large, spacious grounds, quiet and pleasant, clean and comfortable. Cooled by Frigidaire. Every unit has living room.” The Rock Fountain Court opened in 1944 and was named for the stone fountain in the middle of the complex that featured colored water (later replaced with flowers and a flag pole). It was renamed Melinda Court in 1961 by new owner Sherman Nutt for his daughter. It is presently used as weekly rental property. (2400 College Street, Springfield, Mo)
(Reprint from Skip Curtis)

As The Rock Fountain looks today April 2010

College Street Gas Station

2010-04-11T15:14:00.001-07:00

More info to follow

Shave and a haircut 2 bits!

2010-04-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Mullens Barber Shop on Route 66 near the Rock Fountain Court (Melinda Court). A mainstay for local businessmen wanting to stay sharp. Still in operation today on College Street (Route 66).

St. Louis Street-Near Square

2010-04-11T15:02:00.001-07:00

April 2010 Downtown Springfield Route 66 St. Louis Street.

Looking West on St. Louis St.

2010-04-11T14:44:00.001-07:00

Springfield, Missouri The Official Birthplace of Route 66!
This black-and-white photograph is dated March of 1959 on the front, but according to C.H. "Skip" Curtis the photograph dates to 1953. The orientation is looking west toward the Public Square. The Greyhound Bus Depot, the St. Louis Street Coffee Shop and the Tinkle Bar (where the sign says "Liquor") are on the left. These buildings were razed in 1986. The next building is the Martin Chrysler-Plymouth building, which currently houses the Discovery Center. The Colonial Hotel is the six-story structure on the left, sitting at the southwest corner of St. Louis and Jefferson. Across from it, at the northwest corner, is the taller 10-story Woodruff Building.

The Woodruff Building is still standing but the Colonial Hotel was razed in 1997. On the right side of the street is Crosly Auto Parts, Dee's Liquor and a Texaco station. The sign for the Hotel Moran can be seen near the Woodruff building.
As it looks April 2010

2010-04-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

This old building on Route 66 has been around since the 'Road' was busy with cross country traffic. It is in the heart of Springfield. It is a business now called 'Don's Route 66 Old Cars & Antiques'.

Sky Ranch Drive In - Springfield

2010-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Some 40 years ago I remember grabbing a burger and fries at the Sky Ranch. It's now a Thrift Store!

We need an older photo of the Sky Ranch in Springfield. Anyone with any old photos of the Sky Ranch please contact us. We'll be adding the current photo of the existing building as it stands today to accompany it. The Sky Ranch sits on the North West corner of Kansas Expressway and College Street (Route 66)

Update: April 11, 2010

Drag Strip - Springfield

2010-04-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Dragway operated through the 60's but has since faded away.

Local Stock Car Driver and straight liner David Goldsberry Bolivar, MO

Another Dirt Track Legend Lester Friebe of Springfield,MO

The old Springfield-Ozark Dragway. Roma Whitney is driving the Wil Fischer Olds! Photographer unknown.

Milk Wagon - Halltown

2010-04-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

Rick Smith captured this image of an old hand pull milk can wagon in a yard along Route 66 in Missouri. It was used by its owner many years ago and now it’s a yard ornament.

Steak & Shake - Springfield

2010-04-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

Steak & Shake an Official Route 66 Designated Roadside Attraction is still going strong after all these years. Located at 1158 East Saint Louis Street, Springfield,MO.