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QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ROUTE 66 ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI MAGAZINE / Vol. 32 No. 4 / 2022 Route 66 Route 66 Show Me Show Me FUN ON THE BLUFF The Chain of Rocks Fun Fair Amusement Park page 24 THE KINg ANd THE KId FROM SPRINgFIELd page 35 CHURCH ANd SK8 page 10 The BirThplace of rouTe 66 Tour page 16 features 2 OFFICERS, BOARd OF dIRECTORS ANd COMMITTEES 3 PRESIdENT’S dASHBOARd Rich Dinkela 4 NEwS FROM THE ROAd 8 MEMBER SPOTLIgHT Elizabeth olwig 10 CHURCH ANd SK 8 Elizabeth olwig 16 THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROUTE 66 TOUR Joe Sonderman 24 FUN ON THE BLUFF THE CHAIN OF ROCKS FUN FAIR AMUSEMENT PARK Joe Sonderman 31 NOLAN STOLz' ROUTE 66 SUITE FOUNd INSPIRATION IN MISSOURI Cheryl Eichar Jett 35 THE KINg ANd THE KId FROM SPRINgFIELd Joe Sonderman 40 SPENCER LIvES Joe Sonderman 45 NEw MEMBERS Mark Norman 46 BUSINESS MEMBER dIRECTORY Mark Norman 52 THEN ANd NOw Joe Sonderman contents Show Me RICh DINkElA, PRESIDENT AND JIM PowEll, FouNDER aleX’S piZZa Rolla, Mo / page 19 cuBa TouriSm Cuba, Mo / page 27 DirecTion TourS Fenton, Mo / page 30 forT WooD hoTelS St. Robert, Mo / page 39 leBanon TouriSm lebanon, Mo / Front Inside Cover liTchfielD muSeum litchfield, Il / page 42 miSSouri STaTe parkS leasburg, Mo / page 9 moTherroaD moTorcYcleS Springfield, Mo / page 51 paramounT jeWelerS Maplewood, Mo / page 34 peace of minD Cuba, Joplin, lake of the ozarks, Parkhills, Rolla, Salem, Sullivan and washington, Mo / page 12 pulaSki counTY uSa St. Robert, Mo / page 19 rileY'S 66 llc Rileys66.com / page 9 r & S memorial DecoraTionS Springfield, Mo / page 23 ShepherD hillS facTorY ouTleTS lebanon, Mo / Back Cover SpringfielD, illinoiS Springfield, Il / page 27 SpringfielD TouriSm Bureau Springfield, Mo / page 51 STaTe farm wildwood, Mo / page 7 STeak ’n Shake Springfield, Mo / Back Inside Cover Train Wreck Saloon St. louis, Mo / page 34 Show Me Route 66 Magazine is the official publication of The Route 66 Association of Missouri. Show Me Route 66 Magazine is published quarterly and is distributed free of charge to all paid members in good standing of The Route 66 Association of Missouri. Additional copies may be purchased for the cost in advance of $10 USD each including postage. Request for additional copies may be made direct to The Route 66 Association of Missouri, P.O. Box 8117, St. Louis, Missouri 63156. Manuscripts and photographs submitted for publication are welcome and should be sent electronically to Joe Sonderman, Magazine Coordinator, Route 66 Association of Missouri, at stlrt66@aol.com. Reproduction of this magazine in part or in whole, is prohibited without written permission from the President and/or Board of Directors of The Route 66 Association of Missouri. The Route 66 Association of Missouri and the production staff are not responsible for errors or omissions contained herein. The Route 66 Association of Missouri and the production staff retain the right to edit any submitted materials and to not publish an article of questionable content or that goes against the purpose of The Route 66 Association of Missouri. The Route 66 Association of Missouri is a non-profit corporation established to preserve, promote and develop Old Route 66 in Missouri. puBlicaTion ScheDule aDVerTiSing raTeS per iSSue Inside Cover Full Page Color - $175, Back Cover Full Page Color - $185, 1/2 Page B&w - $70, 1/2 Page Color - $85, 1/4 Page B&w - $50, 1/4 Page Color - $60, 1/8 Business Card B&w - $40. other rates are available upon request, call (314) 521-4255 or email: fjbenner@mindspring.com. folloW The aSSociaTion on faceBook Please become a fan to stay up to date on meetings, activities, news from the road and magazine previews. You are welcome to post your favorite Route 66 pictures at www.facebook.com/missouri66. on The coVer (Photo credit: Joe Sonderman) Spring Issue, April 2023 Submission deadline 2.19.23 Summer Issue, July 2023 Submission deadline 5.19.23 Fall Issue, October 2023 Submission deadline 8.19.23 winter Issue, January 2023 Submission deadline 11.19.22 AdvERTISERS Route 66 Show Me QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ROUTE 66 ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI MAGAZINE / Vol. 32 No. 4 / 2022 RICh DINkElA, PRESIDENT AND JIM PowEll, FouNDER CONTRIBUTINg wRITERS Cheryl Eichar Jett Elizabeth olwig Joe Sonderman Gary Sosniecki kip welborn ASSOCIATE EdITOR Cheryl Eichar Jett gRAPHIC dESIgN Tracy Gramm2 Show Me Route 66 – Fall 2022 PRESIdENT rich Dinkela rich@hookedonroute66.com (314) 369-4366 FOUNdER jim powell jimpowell66 @ earthlink.net (941) 922-3295 Officers SHOw ME ROUTE 66 MAgAzINE joe Sonderman editor stlrt66 @ aol.com INTERNET SERvICES mark norman membership@missouri66.org vICE PRESIdENT philip Denton pcd66@att.net (314) 520-7407 SECRETARY Terry Burns Terry.burns.289@gmail.com (417) 693-9977 TREASURER VacanT acting: judy Wallmark Rt66orBust@Yahoo.com (417) 588-6110 JERRY BENNER fjbenner @ mindspring.com MICHAEL BOggS michaelboggs @ rocketmail.com CHRISTOPHER R. BRILEY Briley_c@msn.com BOard Of directOrs PHILIP dENTON pcd66@att.net dAvId J. ESLICK djeslick@undata.com ROBERT gEHL neononroute66 @ gmail.com LUgE HARdMAN waynesville.luge@gmail.com MARK NORMAN membership@missouri66.org TOMMY PIKE Tjp_666@yahoo.com CORA SCOTT cscott @ springfieldmo.gov JOE SONdERMAN stlrt66 @ aol.com JACKIE wELBORN picsbyjax @ gmail.com in helping the Association by volunteering to serve on the board, please submit a statement of interest/what skills you could bring to the Association and a resume. Send these to: info @ missouri66.org All submissions will be reviewed and carefully considered. HISTORIAN / ORAL HISTORY jerry Benner chairperson fjbenner @ mindspring.com EvENTS COMMITTEE, QUARTERLY MEETINgS, SPECIAL EvENTS elizabeth olwig eolwig.66@gmail.com cOmmittee MEMBERSHIP SERvICES mark norman Director membership@missouri66.org ALL AMERICAN ROAd Tommy pike Tjp_666@yahoo.com NEON HERITAgE PRESERvATION james j. Thole chairperson 66thole@sbcglobal.net PRESERvATION kip Welborn chairperson rudkip @ sbcglobal.net Back issues are available for $10.00 per issue uS addresses only (includes S&h) Some issues may require additional costs. please give Volume number and issue number when ordering.* Send requests to: route 66 association of missouri po Box 8117, St. louis, mo 63156. *Please allow six weeks for delivery. BaCK ISSUeS aVaILaBLe officers/directors/committees, missouri66.org 3 from The preSiDenT’S DeSk of roamin rich Dinkela Presiden t ’ s Dashboard ey Roadies! Another year is nearing the end. I hope yours was full of wonderful memories! There’s still plenty of time to get out on Route 66 and explore and have fun. The fall and early winter gives the opportunity to check out areas that would normally be overgrown and wrought with ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, and last but not least – SNAKES! I love going out to explore in the cooler months. If you joined us on our annual motor tour in September, I’m sure you made some new friends and saw some new attractions along our little stretch of 66. We had about 70 people attend this year. Many people returned from past motor tours, but I also saw some new faces as well. We added a new attraction to this motor tour, the Riverside Reptile Ranch. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve visited this roadside attraction, but I got to say, my family was very impressed and had a great time! The Reptile Ranch is located just off the Stanton exit on the way to Meramec Caverns. It’s evolved over the decades as a tourist spot. They have quite an array of exotic animals you wouldn’t expect to see on a roadside stop. We also visited Devil’s Elbow where we were greeted by Bruce Wrench, paid respects to the Gasconade Bridge, and had two different social outings: one at Connie Echols’ Wagon Wheel and the other at Ramona Lehman’s Munger Moss. Special thanks to Elizabeth Olwig, Mike Boggs, and Kip Welborn for organizing such a great event. Thank you to all of our generous sponsors and donors for helping to make this tour possible. I also want to mention Rich Havlick. Without his help, we may not have been able to hold our event at the Munger Moss. He stepped up to the occasion to take over as manager of the Motel after Ramona was injured in a nasty fall. We’re fostering a new relationship with MoDOT this fall in order for the association to take ownership of the Gasconade River Bridge. As you may know, we were able to stop the process to demolish the bridge back in 2019. Federal Highways has advised that MoDOT and the Route 66 Association of Missouri work together to facilitate a transfer agreement. Now, we are poised to take on the responsibility of stabilizing the bridge and hopefully restoring it. We still have a lot of details to work out, but things are looking up for the landmark. Saving the bridge will be a historic milestone for our association that we can all be proud of. It will extend a portion of Route 66 legacy for many future generations to enjoy. On a personal note, I’ll be spending a lot of time this fall at the Shamrock trying to make some more significant progress towards our restoration efforts. Please drop me a line if you’re interested in joining our efforts. We’ll be focused on replacing plumbing, electrical, and other important structural parts of the motel. I’m still hoping we can open in late 2023. Any help or donations will be welcomed. If you stop by just to chat, be sure to bring your gloves! – I’ll put you to work! Please keep our Mother of the Mother Road, Ramona Lehman, in your thoughts and prayers as she recovers from her unfortunate fall she had late this summer. I was fortunate enough to meet with her briefly at the Motor Tour fall social. She was in high spirits and seemed very happy to be there to see all the 66 Roadies enjoying the hospitality of the Munger Moss. I’m sure there will be some changes at our beloved roadside haven. Changes are part of life and have always been a part of Route 66. The evolution of 66 is what makes it such a unique highway. Ramona deserves a speedy recovery so that she might influence the next chapter in the motel’s future. – Roamin Rich 2022 Route 66 Association of Missouri Motor Tour at Devil's Elbow. We will have more on the Motor Tour in our next issues. Rich delivering good news about the Gasconade River Bridge to the Motor Tour group.4 Show Me Route 66 – Fall 2022 news from the road rockWooD relighTing highlighTS feSTiVal After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield nearly set a record for attendance. Organizers say about 65,000 people took in at least some of the classic cars, musical performances, and events from August 11-13. City of Springfield spokesperson Cora Scott says attendees came from 32 states and 18 countries, with the car show bringing in 700 registrants. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The restored Rockwood Court in Springfield was the center of much activity during the festival, including a lighting ceremony for its replica of the motel’s neon sign. Former city council member Phyllis Ferguson and her husband Tim took over and began News from the Road Photo credit: Efren Lopez restoration of the motel on College Street/Route 66 in 2019. The tourist court and station were constructed in 1929 by Deverne Ruckman and became the Rockwood in 1948. Ferguson and Scott were also both named as recipients of the annual John. T. Woodruff Award. The award for the promotion of Route 66 is named for the civic leader who helped ensure that Route 66 went through Springfield. The telegram to federal officials seeking to assign the number 66 to the highway was sent from Woodruff’s office in 1926. Scott is the city Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement and is one of the biggest cheerleaders for Springfield and Route 66. From the publicity to the actual coordination of the city’s involvement in traffic control, health and safety and the picnic at the Route 66 Roadside Park she is the “Heartbeat” of the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival. Ferguson served on Springfield City Council as the Zone 1, Northwest Springfield representative for six years and as Mayor Pro Tem for two years. She worked to reverse the “No Cruising” ordinance and brought back “Cruising on Kearney.” She also initiated and shepherded an economic incentive and revitalization plan for Kearney St. (Route 66) through the council. In addition to running the Rockwood, she is the CEO of the local restaurant chain, Mexican Villa. missouri66.org 5 news from the road gaSconaDe BriDge Will STanD The historic Route 66 Gasconade Bridge isn’t coming down any time soon. That’s the latest word from the federal government in the dispute between the Missouri Department of Transportation and preservationists. MoDOT shut the bridge down in December 2014 due to deterioration and moved forward with plans to demolish the structure. But the Route 66 Association of Missouri submitted a proposal to take over ownership. In February 2021, MoDOT rejected the proposal, saying the association failed to “adequately demonstrate a plan for preservation and maintenance of the bridge or meet MoDOT’s requirements for assuming ownership and liability.” The main dispute centered on MoDOT’s insurance requirements, which the association said were unreasonable and could not be met. MoDOT had already accepted a similar proposal for a group working to save the Green’s Mill Swinging Bridge over the Little Niangua River in Camden County. Now after over a year of consultation among the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA in Washington and FHWA-Missouri), the Advisory Council, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and MoDOT, the federal government has responded. The FHWA has concluded that the Route 66 Association’s plan is “generally acceptable, with some exceptions that need to be addressed.” In other words, the federal government is now asking MoDOT to come to some sort of agreement with the Route 66 Association of Missouri. MoDOT now says it will work with the association, in coordination with SHPO to address the exceptions. According to association president Rich Dinkela, this almost certainly ensures the bridge will not be demolished, barring some unforeseen occurrence. But a major fund-raising effort would still be required as rehabilitation costs could add up to over $2.5 million. The very first step would be to secure the bridge to prevent trespassing, reducing liability. Then the deck would be removed to reduce the load on the structure until rehabilitation could begin. Dinkela said the bridge could stand for many more years if the deck is removed and lateral bracing added. In another preservation effort, the deck was removed from the Route 66 Bridge over the Meramec River at Times Beach to buy time to raise funds. The historic bridge over the Gasconade River opened in 1924. It was replaced by a new bridge carrying the I-44 Service Road that opened in August 2019. BooTS re-opening Big changes continue to take place at the Boots Court in Carthage. Kim Bausinger, manager of the historic motel at “The Crossroads of America” expects all of the renovated rooms at the Boots to be ready in time for the Maple Leaf Festival in October. The main building undergoing renovation includes eight rooms, including one where Hollywood icon Clark Gable once stayed. The building in the rear of the complex with five rooms re-opened over the summer. A group of Carthage residents bought the historic property and formed a foundation to begin full restoration in 2021. Arthur Boots originally built the motel at Central and Garrison in 1939, advertising Boots Motel Court (Photo credit: Facebook)6 Show Me Route 66 – Fall 2022 news from the road help WiTh preSerVaTion aVailaBle by kip Welborn Jane Dippel was an ambassador for Route 66 in Missouri for many years and her biggest accomplishment was in raising funds for historic preservation. Jane was the head of the Historic Preservation Committee for the Association. While she is no longer with us, the committee is still making donations and has been re-named in her honor. The Jane Dippel Historic Preservation Committee donations include funds to Paramount Jewelers for the restoration of its amazing art deco neon sign in Maplewood. It has also matched donations made by the Neon Preservation Committee of the Route 66 Association of Missouri for signs installed at the Shamrock Court in Sullivan and the Rockwood Court in Springfield. Other awards have been given to the National Museum of Transport for its work on the Westward Motel sign, and to the Boots Court Foundation for its work on the Boots Court. While the Route 66 Association of Missouri is proud to have been able to have assisted in these preservation efforts, Jane Dippel would say in her gravelly voice that the work is never done. So many places along Route 66 need help to survive. Photo panels at Road Fest in Okalahoma City. a “Radio in Every Room.” It was nearly demolished in the 1990s but sisters Debye Harvey and Priscilla Bledsaw took over in 2011. They brought the property back from the brink, restoring the green neon on the exterior, renovating the sign, and removing a gabled roof that had been added over the years before deciding to retire. The foundation is also improving the property around the Boots, which it also owns. Two old homes were demolished and restoration is underway on an old gas station at Garrison and Olive Streets which Bausinger says will serve as the motel office and visitor’s center. When that work is complete, the present office will be used for making ice and coffee for guests. In July, the Missouri Council on Historic Preservation approved the Boots Court Motel for recommendation to the National Register of Historic Places. Donations to help with the restoration can be made online at cfozarks.org/bootscourt or by mail to Boots Court Foundation, PO Box 1057, Carthage, MO 64836. Follow along to watch our progress at www.bootscourt66.com. funDraiSing for neon Sign The latest neon restoration project for the Route 66 Association of Missouri focuses on a business in Webb City. The sign in front of the Webb City Florist on the original South Jefferson alignment of Route 66 isn’t huge but it is very attractive, featuring a red rose. Courtney Smith took over the business last year after owner Marcia Musgrove retired. Smith says the community is excited to hear the sign will be restored. The sign is estimated to be about | 75 years old. Smith says there are many challenges to owning a small business, but the beauty is that it has a history, “And it has a history on Route 66, which I think is even more special.” She says the Webb City community, “knows we are here” but is hoping restoring the sign will bring even more recognition from Route 66 enthusiasts and the surrounding area, including Joplin and Carthage. Courtney Smith (Photo: Facebook, Webb City Florist) Jane Dippel If you are considering a preservation project or know of one that could use help, please contact kip welborn at rudkip@sbcglobal.net. kip will be happy to send you a preservation donation application. Together, we will keep Jane Dippel’s vision alive. The Route 66 Association of Missouri is hoping to raise $5,000 for repainting, new wiring, and new neon. Please help us restore this Route 66 gem. For more information, check out our website at www.Missouri66.org. Contributions are tax-deductible. missouri66.org 7 news from the road honor for munger moSS oWner gary Sosniecki Ramona Lehman, in her 52nd year owning the internationally known Munger Moss Motel, will receive a Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award on November 3 at the annual Wall of Honor Banquet. Lehman, considered Lebanon’s Queen of Route 66, is one of five 2022 recipients announced. An Iowa blizzard was the impetus for Bob and Ramona Lehman to move to Missouri and buy Lebanon’s Munger Moss Motel on June 1, 1971. During their tenure, the Munger Moss became an internationally known destination, its distinctive neon sign pictured in countless Route 66 books and travel magazines. While Bob busied himself with the motel’s upkeep, Ramona became one of the foremost Route 66 ambassadors in the United States as well as Lebanon’s Queen of Route 66. Bob died in 2019, but in her 52nd year of ownership, Ramona still greets guests with wide smiles, warm hugs, and generous advice on what to see next on Route 66. Ramona has been active in promoting Route 66 since her arrival in Lebanon, serving on the Route 66 Association of Missouri board and as founding secretary of the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society in 2002. She currently serves on the Route 66 Society board and is a Rotarian. The Munger Moss Motel office is full of Route 66-related awards the Lehmans have received, including a Missouri House resolution honoring them on the motel’s 75th anniversary in 2021 and a plaque for their induction earlier this year to the Laclede County Route 66 Wall of Fame. Other Route 66-related Wall of Honor honorees in recent years were Marie Williams, former owner of the Vesta Courts and Holiday Motel, in 2017, and Glenn Wrinkle Sr., owner of Wrink’s Food Market, in 2019. Ramona Lehman ALL YOUR FRIENdS ARE HERE! www.facebook.com/missouri66 folloW The rouTe 66 aSSociaTion of miSSouri on faceBookNext >