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In 2004 at the Route 66 festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Russell Olsen. He was at the festival selling his first book, Route 66 Lost & Found. The book did two things better than just about any other work on Route 66 that I have seen: first, Russell used vintage postcards and photos of Route 66 sites, then he paired those images with modern photos of the current look of the same site taken from the same vantage point. Second, and almost as important, he accompanied those paired images with knowledgeable text that told little-known details of the background of the sites. The results are intimate, knowing, and exhilarating.

I met up with Russell again in San Bernadino in 2005, and in Albuquerque in 2006. He came out with a second volume of Lost & Found in 2006, and the results were just as satisfying. Again, the relavatory pairing of vintage and contemporary photos of such Route 66 icons as Dell Rhea Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Illinois, the Coleman Theater in Miami, Oklahoma showed the changes wrought by time. Most interesting to the obsessive historian in me were the lesser-known sites where Russell took the time to seek out and find vintage images and then visit the site to take the matching modern shot: The Strufe Motel in Dwight, Illinois, the Indian Trails Trading Post in Lupton, Arizona, and Carty’s Camp in Needles, California. Throughout, the keen eye of the photographer and the caring words of the author shine through.

Voyageur Press has recently released a single-volume combining Route 66 Lost & Found volumes 1 and 2 into a single hardcover in a smaller format than the originals. While the smaller format reduces the majesty of some of the images, this combined volume would be a must for dedicated roadies that have not had the opportunity to purchase the original separate books. Russell Olsen is one of the Mother Road’s most knowing and artistic documentarians.  If you have not yet seen his work, I urge you to seek out Route 66 Lost & Found.

Voyageur Press, 2008. $25.00US. ISBN 978-0-7603-3492-8
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Today is a special day. One of my personal areas of interest since becoming involved with the historic highways of Chicago and the U.S. has been a little filling station located at 3801 W. Ogden Avenue on the city’s west side. (I have a story about the station on my website here.) Built in 1925 and operated by John J. Murphy for over 40 years, the building is often referred to as the Castle Car Wash. This is the name painted on the front—likely the last entity to attempt to use the building for commercial purposes.  The building has been sitting vacant and deteriorating for the last 20 years or so. Subject to benign neglect during the long economic decay of the surrounding North Lawndale neighborhood, new commercial and residential improvements in the area puts new pressure on the historic structure’s survival.  Today, Landmarks Illinois drew needed attention toward the Murphy Filling Station when they placed it on their 2009 Chicagoland Watch List of endangered historic structures. In operation for more than 30 years, Landmarks Illinois has saved countless architectural and historic treasures throughout the state of Illinois. For more information about Landmarks Illinois and the Chicagoland Watch List, visit http://www.Landmarks.org.  The Watch List includes many structures, all worthy of preservation. Landmarks Illinois is also highlighting the importance of neon signs, another part of our commercial landscape that is disappearing. To see the entire watch list, click here.    

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As I was out on the road in late May/early June, I stopped in at the Antique Toy Museum in Stanton Missouri on old Route 66. The proprietor informed me that he has decided to retire at the end of the current 2008 season. Although there is always a chance that he may change his mind, he seemed quite determined when I spoke with him. His children seem to have no interest in operating the Museum, so it is likely that this will be the last year that anyone can visit this marvelous place.

The museum contains a collection of 20^th century toys worth an estimated $500,000. As the slogan of the Museum states, “If you were ever a kid, you’ll love the Antique Toy Museum.” If you are a member of the baby boomer generation, this Museum has virtually every toy you had as a child, or wished you had.

So, I would highly recommend that anyone traveling along 66 through Missouri should make a point of stopping in. It might be your last opportunity.

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This post has two purposes. One, to inform all who care that the Upcoming Events page (link to the right) has been updated. I have added a few more dates for June library presentations of the Historic Route 66 PowerPoint slide show and lecture. Also added is the current schedule of events for July.

The schedule is daunting, since I am also looking for a permanent income stream (a.k.a. job) and going to school. So, I have asked a friend to become our Windy City Road Warrior Roving Correspondent. His first photos from the road are on our flickr sight at this link:

Collection: Roving Correspondent

So, I hope you enjoy the photos and stories of our Roving Correspondent for the next few weeks. Everybody please have a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday weekend!

Regards,

Dave Clark, your Windy City Road Warrior

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Images of America: Route 66 in Chicago, from Arcadia Publishing, and three articles in the Architects of Chicago’s 66 series, published in the Route 66 Federation News, were honored on Saturday, May 17, at the Illinois Women’s Press Association (IWPA) Mate E. Palmer Communications Awards luncheon in Chicago.

Images of America: Route 66 in Chicago won first place honors in the nonfiction history books category. First place in the special articles-history category for two or more articles in a series was awarded to the third and fourth installments of the on-going Architects of Chicago’s 66 series. The two installments, titled “John Root and Daniel Burnham,” and “D. H. Burnham & Company,” were published in the Summer and Autumn 2007 issues of the Route 66 Federation News. The News is the quarterly publication of the National Historic Route 66 Federation.

Concerning Route 66 in Chicago, the judges commented, “The history through images and words very successfully captures the heart and soul of an historic roadway. This is a fantastic addition to the historical canon of Route 66!”

“Wonderful, interesting history–compelling details and knowledge of subject,” were the comments of the judges in honoring the architectural series articles.

These honors, presented at the IWPA’s annual awards luncheon in Chicago, automatically enters the book and articles into the National Federation of Press Women’s (NFPW) Communications contest.

Another article in the Architects of Chicago’s 66 series, “William Le Baron Jenney,” which appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of the Route 66 Federation News, garnered second place honors in the category for feature articles appearing in a specialized circulation publication.

The IWPA, which is the Illinois affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, was established in 1885. It is an organization of communications professionals that states its objective is “to maintain and improve the professional standards of members in mass communications in Illinois.” The awards are named for Mate E. Palmer, active member and president of the IWPA in the early 20th century. The purpose of the awards is “to improve professional skills by recognizing excellence in communicating.”

The honored book and articles were all written by David G. Clark. Full disclosure: that’s me!

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I am excited to announce that Windy City Road Warrior has partnered with Windy City Connection to offer Motor Coach Tours! Starting in the summer and fall of 2008, we will offer on selected Saturdays all-day tours that will explore downtown Chicago, where Route 66 begins, and take our guests to historic Wilmington, Illinois. Tour highlights include:

• Deluxe 55 Passenger Motor Coach
• 10 Page Handout of the Tour
• 1 hour Guided Walking Tour of Historic Buildings on the Route 66 corridor in Chicago’s Loop.
• Lunch at Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, Willowbrook, Illinois.
• Walking Tour of downtown Joliet, where we will see the Rialto Theater and historic buildings constructed of “Joliet limestone.”
• Visit to the Route 66 Welcome Center and Gift Shop at the Joliet Historical Museum
• Free Time shopping at the Ben Franklin Store in Wilmington, Illinois.
• Free Time shopping and exploring historic Water Street in Wilmington, Illinois.

The tours will depart from Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, with some exceptions. They will normally start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. For cost, dates, and other details, please go to the Windy City Road Warrior Tour Page!

I recently received my copy of the Spring 2008 Route 66 Magazine. The cover story on the public art of Joliet, Illinois is great, since it showcases the great work that has been going on in that city over the last several years.

I was happy to see the fine layout of the article I wrote, “Filling the Skies with Commerce.” This is part one of a two-part series about connections between Route 66, Chicago, and pioneering events and places in aviation history.

The magazine is high quality from cover to cover. Kudos to Bob Moore and Paul & Sandi Taylor for another great job!
You can find out more about the issue and subscribing to this fine periodical at their website, route66magazine.com.

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I have added a new blog page, named Upcoming Events, which can be accessed from the link near the top of the sidebar on the right side of the page. I have listed all of my library presentation dates for April and May 2008 that have already been booked. I have several more libraries that are interested in hosting the Historic Route 66 presentation but have not yet settled on a date. So, as more events are scheduled, I will add them to the list.

As of today, I have two presentations in April and five in May. Most libraries ask that people wishing to attend events register in advance by phone or on their websites. All the necessary contact information is just a single mouse click away, by clicking on the link on the upper right, or by clicking here!

If anyone would like more general information about my Historic Route 66 presentations–especially if you have a venue that might want to host an event–take a look at this website’s Presentation Page.

Last month, while I was neglecting my blog, I was busy working on a nomination submission to have Frank T. Sheets inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois’ Hall of Fame.

While Mr. Sheets is not a household name, it is my view that his contributions to the Illinois section of 66 make him worthy of being called the “Father of Route 66 in Illinois.” I guess I made a good case, because this weekend the Hall of Fame committee voted in favor of Mr. Sheets’ induction. I appreciate the committee’s due diligence and careful consideration that let to this positive outcome.So, who is Frank Sheets? I have the full nominating materials that I submitted available for viewing or download here (warning, the file is 1.5 megabytes and may take a while to open or download). Below are some bullet points about Mr. Sheets:

• Frank T. Sheets headed the Illinois Division of Highways from 1920-1932. During his tenure, the state came from “out of the mud” to break the record four times for miles paved in a year by any state. The Division’s work under his command included the completion of hard surface pavement on all of Illinois State Bond Issue (SBI) Route 4 between Chicago and the McKinley Bridge (over the Mississippi River into St. Louis) by the end of 1926. When U.S. 66 was commissioned and routed along SBI 4, Illinois could boast of being the only state with hard roads along the entire length of its share of the highway.
• Mr. Sheets also served as President of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) and a member of its “Committee of Five” that created the original U.S. Highway map and numbering system. He fought against the regional interests that wanted the highway connecting Los Angeles and St. Louis to continue east through Kentucky and Virginia. He and his fellow committee members won the battle for a “single-numbered highway” connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, and thus they created the highway we now “preserve and promote.”
• From 1927-1932, the Division of Highways under Mr. Sheets continued to improve Route 66 with wider pavements, grade separations, and the change in routing that brought such beloved towns as Litchfield and Hamel into the Route 66 community.

For these reasons, I thought that Frank T. Sheets belonged in the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. He was in charge of building, maintaining, and improving the highway, and he was instrumental in its designation as U.S. Highway 66. I believe he truly is the Father of Route 66 in Illinois. I am glad the Hall of Fame committee agreed as to his worthiness for induction.

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Real life has gotten in the way of my posting activities in the last few weeks, so I just wanted to make a quick entry here to catch up on a few recent items.

• As stated in a previous post, I gave a presentation on Historic Route 66 at the Park Ridge, Illinois Library on February 26, 2008. There was a snowstorm the previous day, and the night of the 26th was extremely cold, but nonetheless an overflow crowd showed up to see the presentation. It’s great to see so many folks with an interest in 66–so much so that they brave nasty weather in order to take a virtual tour on the Mother Road. My thanks again to the staff at the Park Ridge Library for hosting the event and helping to make the evening a success.
• In February, I spent a large chunk of time preparing a nomination for the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame. Each year, nominations are sent to the Hall of Fame committee for people, businesses, or structures that “have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 while it was an official United States highway in the State (1927-1977),” (quoting from the Association’s bylaws). The person I nominated was Frank T. Sheets, who was in charge of the Illinois Division of Highways from 1920-1932. In 1926, when State Bond Issue (SBI) Route 4 was designated as U.S. 66, Illinois was the only state that could boast of having its entire piece of the highway completely paved with a hard surface. Frank Sheets was the guy in charge of making that happen. Later today, I will post up the full text of my nomination. Yesterday, I received a call from Marilyn Pritchard, Hall of Fame Museum Curator, and she told me that Frank Sheets had indeed been inducted into the Hall of Fame by the committee. This is great news, since, in my opinion, Mr. Sheets was truly the Father of Route 66 in Illinois. So check back a little later to read more about Mr. Sheets.
• On Saturday, after a long, bitter winter, I gave my first walking tour of 2008. An Irish family from Toronto was in town for St. Patrick’s Day. They had never been to Chicago before and had little foreknowledge of Route 66, so I gave them a good orientation to the city and the highway. It was 40 degrees and a bit breezy, but as always we explored inside of buildings as well as outside, so we were never far from places to warm up. So, to anyone out there–if you come to Chicago, I am available to give you a tour that will be enjoyable even if the weather isn’t!

I’ll be working on my next quarterly newsletter in the next few days–I have several more library presentations coming up in April and May, as well as other announcements. Stay tuned!

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