PAGE 8

People still getting
Highway gets
kicks on Route 66
Hollywood’s nod

From the Sunday, September 5, 2004 issue of The
By Phil Anderson
Capital-Journal, Topeka, Kansas
The Capital-Journal
Kathryn,76,
arekeepingtheJoplin,Mo., another stop on
RIVERTON—
Route66
From the Sunday, September 3, 2006 issue of The
By Jan Biles
Kansasmemories
alive
Route
66,
and later movedhasapresencein
Kansas—Capital-Journal, Topeka, Kansas
The Capital-Journal
13.3 miles in the extreme through membership in a to the Kansas side. No doubt,
fan.
southeast corner of the state, historic Route 66 organiza- getting married to Kathryn,
There was an old wrecker to be exact.
tion.
a Baxter Springs girl whoin an empty lot by Route 66
Decked out in trademark also had her roots in Joplin,
While other states can lay
in Galena, Kan.,” Wallis told claim to far more Mother black-and-white Route 66 had something to do with
the New York Times when Road lore than Kansas, don’t jackets and caps, the Steeles becoming a Jayhawker.
asked about the inspiration think for a minute that Route met me one recent afternoon
Just west of Riverton, thefor Mater the tow truck. “Joe 66 aficionados overlook the at Eisler Brothers and remi- last of the Marsh Arch
Ranft, the studio’s head of Sunflower State.
nisced about their lives, bridges still remains. It is astory and a key member ofVisitors from across the which have mostly been narrow, one-way bridge, and
the Pixar team, stopped and nation and around the world lived out near the highway. to get to it, you must leave
noticed it, and Mater was descend year-round upon
“This seems to be the cen- the main state highway.
born.”
Eisler Brothers, a mom-and- ter of the tourist traffic right Thankfully, Floyd andNelson said Disney offi- pop grocery store and gift here,” Floyd told me as he Kathryn led and I followed
cials gave him two tickets to shop along historic Route sat at a round plastic picnic to the bridge. Getting out of
the world premiere of “Cars” 66 in Riverton, which looks area inside an enclosed area my vehicle and standing on
on May 26 at Lowe’s Motor much as it did when the in front of the Eisler Broth- the original Route 66 sent a
Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. Mother Road was the ers store. “This store right chill up my spine, as I imagAn estimated 34,000 people nation’s main east-west here has been here since the ined the millions of folks
were there.
highway from the 1926 to highway opened up, and it who had passed across thisAmong the celebrities 1960.
hasn’t changed much.”very blacktop with hopes andwho voiced characters forYears ago, two gas pumps dreams of something better
The heyday of Route 66
the movie and attended the was during the Depression stood in front of the store. in their hearts as they headed
premiere were Owen Wil- and Dust Bowl eras of the Now, a couple of weathered west.
son, Larry the Cable Guy, 1930s, when thousands of wooden carts brimming with
The road has had its share
Paul Newman, Tony desperate people headed colorful flowers adorn the of famous people: Will
Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt and west in search of a better store’s front lawn.
Rogers, for example, whose
Cheech Marin.
Floyd said if bus tours or museum is located today on
life.
“It was a lot of fun,”Starting in Chicago and other large groups provide historic Route 66 in
Nelson said.
ending in Santa Monica, enough notice, a smorgas- Clairmore, Okla. Infamous
The G-rated movie has Calif., Route 66 is without bord lunch will be prepared characters also abounded,
sparked a new interest in question one of the world’s at the store.
like Bonnie and Clyde.
Jason Hunter/The Capital-Journal
traveling Route 66 this sumFolks come to tiny RiverToday, the heroes are
A box of candles shares a hook with a Route 66 sign at mer, particularly among most famous byways. Manyof the towns it passed ton for their Route 66 kicks folks like the Steeles, who
Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store.
families.
through had an almost lyri- from throughout the United give tirelessly of themselves“This year, with the gas cal sound to them: St. Louis; States, as well as from to keep alive a 13.3-mile
RIVERTON — Scott them along the route, which
Nelson meets some interest- included two stops at Eisler prices, we thought we’d have Oklahoma City; Tucumcari France, Germany, England, memory that is part ofing people while he stocks Bros. Old Riverton Store.
fewer customers,” said Amy and Gallup, N.M.; Flagstaff Norway and Japan.
Americana.
shelves and makes deli sandWallis, of Tulsa, Okla., Sanell, co-owner of Cafe on and Winona, Ariz.; andFloyd said he was born inwiches at Eisler Bros. Old later voiced the character of the Route in Baxter Springs, Barstow and San BernarRiverton Store, an old-fash- Sheriff, a 1949 Mercury, in where a “Cars” movie poster dino, Calif.
Deli Menu
is mounted to its storefront
ioned grocery on the north the movie.
Much of the originalside of Route 66.
Party Trays Made to Order for all Occasions
The character of Mater window. “But we’ve had Route 66 is no longer in exIn the past few years, he’s the tow truck is a composite more (families) this year istence, but some patches doHomemade Sandwiches
been rubbing elbows with of Harley Russell, co-owner than in the past two years.” remain — including portions
Baked Ham
Pickle Loafsome Hollywood types.
of the SandHills Curiousityof the road in Kansas.
Bologna
Pimento Cheese“The Disney people were Shop in Erick, Okla.; andToday, folks like Floyd
Chopped Ham
Roast Beef
here for the ‘Cars’ movie a Douglas “Mater” Keever, of
Steele, 78, and his wife,
Cooked Salami Smoked Salami
couple of times,” Nelson North Carolina, a NASCAR
Liver Cheese
Smoked Turkey
said.
Old Fasion Loaf Turkey
The Disney/Pixar animated movie tells the story
All Sandwiches come with Fixins'of Lightning McQueen, aWhite Breadchoice of Cheese:
As said around the world
NASCAR race car that takes
Wheat Bread
Americana detour off the interstate
Rye Bred 15¢ extra
Smokey
Sharp
35¢
extra
French: "Recevez vos Coups de pied sur le Trajet 66"
highway and ends up in RaPumpernickel 15¢ extra
Cheddardiator Springs, a fictional
Sour Dough 15¢ extra
Provolone
town on Route 66. The town
Lettuce
Hot Pepper
German:"Bekommen
Sie
Ihre
Stöße
auf
dem
Weg
66"
has gone downhill since theTomatoMuensterinterstate replaced the faPickle
Super Sharp 35¢ extra
mous two-lane highway
Spanish: "Consiga sus Patadas en Ruta 66"
Onion
Swiss
from Chicago to Santa
RelishMarble Jack
Monica, Calif.
Miracle Whip
The producers of the
Italian: "Ottieni il tuo Kicks sulla Route 66"
MustardExtras When available:
movie wanted to understand
Baked Beans Pasta Salad Barbecue Sauce
the history and lives affected
Italian Dressing
Cole Slaw
Tapioca
Norwegian: "Få din Benteknikk på Route 66"
by Route 66, so they enCatsup
PotatoSaladlisted Michael Wallis, auButter
thor of “Route 66: The
Swedeish:
"Få
din
Kicks
på
Route
66"
Daily
Specials
Phone
ahead
for
fasterservice 620-848-3330
Mother Road,” to escort"Get yyour
our Kicks on Route 66"

CYAN

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Established1925

Eisler Brothers

Old Riverton Store
Established March 20, 1925

Historic Highway 66, Riverton, KS 66770

Phone: 620-848-3330

Volume 1

National P
arks
Parks
Ser
vice visits andServicereco
gnizes the area
recognizes
On Thursday, July 12,2007 Michael Taylor, program manager, and Kaisa
Barthuli, deputy program
manager, with the Route 66
Preservation Program a division of the National Parks
Service visited the 13.2
miles of Route 66 in Kansas.
Route 66 has been recently listed on the World
Monument's Fund 2008
Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, among suchothers as the cultural sites of
Iraq, Machu Picchu in Peru,
and modern Shanghi in
China.
Route 66 is the most famous highway in America,and perhaps the world. It
was created in 1926 as partof the nation's first systemof federal highways. It was
popular as the shortest, allweather route from Chicago
to Santa Monica. It has became infamous through literature, Grapes of Wrath(1939); film, Grapes of
Wrath (1939); television, Rt.
66 with Buzz and Todd andthe Corvette, although only
about 5% of the show was
actually filmed on Route 66;
and song, "Get your kicks
on Route 66" written by Mr.
and Mrs. Rob Troop, sangoriginally by Nat King Cole,this song has been recordedby over 150 different artists
over the years.
During the years of 19331945, the Depression Era,
over 210,000 people traveled along Rt. 66. From
1946-1960's, the Golden
Years, there was a growth intourism, western migration,and commercial and suburban sprawl. Years 1960's1985 saw the decline of
Rt.66, due to decreased traffic, faster automobiles, construction of the Eisenhower
Interstate System. In 1985,
Route 66 was decommissioned. Federal and state

Above: Scott Nelson (manager of Eisler Bros.) receiving
the plaque on behalf of Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store
from Kaisa Barthuli (deputy program manager of the
Preservation Program division of the National Parks
Service).

agencies, private organizations, and numerous members of the public realizedthat remnants of the roadwere quickly disappearing,and that the remaining significant structures, features,
and artifacts associated withthe road should be preserved.
In 1990, the Route 66 Study
Act was passed. The act
recognized that Route 66"has become a symbol of theAmerican people's heritageof travel and their legacy of
seeking a better life." Which
led to the creation of theRoute 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Michael Taylor and Kaisa
Barthuli came to this 13.2
mile stretch of Route 66 topresent plaques to Eisler
Brothers Store in Riverton
and Rainbow Bridge, just

Enjoy yourtrip on
Route 66

west of Riverton, both haveprojects that the program has
funded through their grant
program that requires
matching funds. "The stretchof highway from the stateline
to Main Street in Galena isreally an incredible sectionof Route 66," Taylor said.
The highway section in Galena is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Michael Taylor, managerof the NPS Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program,
said the program has provided federal funding of$1,044,813 for 69 projects
along the route. With matching funds of $1,077,662. thetotal value to date is$2,122,475. Of the 69
projects along the Route,four are in the 13.2 miles in
Kansas.

PAGE 2

PAGE 7

Photos from inside Eisler Bros.
Old River
ton Store
Riv
erton

The History of Eisler Brothers
Old Riverton Store
Following his return fromWorld War I, Leo Williams
and his wife Lora Leona Williams opened a small dinerand garage on the easternedge of Riverton, Kansas.
Leo worked at the Empire
District Electric Plant acrossthe street, while Lora served
lunches and sold groceries.
After a tornado destroyedthat building in 1923, Leobuilt the current store on an
adjacent lot. The new store
opened on March 20, 1925
with a small apartment in
the west half of the building
for the Williams'. Three
years later, Lora and Leo's
only child, Jane, was born inthe apartment on February
29, 1928.
The 1930 Sanborn Insurance map for Galena describes the property as a onestory masonry store with acomposition roof. The map
shows the main store with adwelling unit on the westside, smaller one-story
rooms on the north and east,
and an open porch across thefront. A single-car garage
stood at the rear of the property. The Williamses leased
the gasoline rights first to
Texaco and later to Standard Oil. Signage on thebuilding from this timereads, "Y Not Eat/Williams/
Bar-B-Q" and "General Mer-

CYAN

chandise."
The Williams' Store carried everything from groceries to general merchandise.
Patrons could buy shoes andclothes, as well as foodstaples such as ice, milk,
eggs, bread, fresh meat,canned goods, and penny
candy. They also sold bulk
foods such as lard, peanutbutter, and vinegar. Loracontinued to serve chili, andLeo barbecued beef andvenison in a pit behind thestore. Leo was also known
for selling high-quality produce at the store. According
to his daughter, Jane Williams Ball, Leo purchased
produce every evening at the
Joplin Market Square.
Like most businesses in
the area, the Williams' Storecatered primarily to local
customers, although it also
played an important role on
Route 66. As current owner
Isabelle Eisler wrote:
Travelers stopped to enjoy a slice of cold watermelon, to have a fairly famous
Barbecuesandwich...or to fill a thermos with coffee. It was a Pit
Stop with a graveled parking area and , out back, afamiliar white closet, with ahalf moon cutout in its door.
Two closets, in fact. The
store front had red and green

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

neon tube lighting to pierce
the early darkness of a cold,snowy night and people inthe store, owners, clerks, andcustomers, all served as veritable verbal Mapsco if you
needed directions.
Over the course of theirlong ownership, theWilliamses made a few
modifications to the property. Around 1933, they enclosed the front store, creating a protected breezeway
for produce and customers.
In 1939, a few years before
the family moved their residence to the house next door
to the store, a small bathroom was in stalled in theapartment.
Leo also built a regulation croquet court in the open
lot east of the store. Construction to standard specifications and with low walls
surrounding the playing
field, the court was lit fornight games. It was an entertainment focal point for Riverton, drawing crowds for
tournament play. Whenparking needs increased, thecourt was removed.
In 1945, after spending
over twenty years in the grocery business, Leo Williams
purchased a skating rink in
Galena and leased the grocery to Lloyd Paxon. After
Leo's death in the 1948, at
the age of 56, Lora ran the
Galena Roller Rink until
Paxon's lease on the grocery
expired. Lora returned to thestore, operating it until about
1970. She affiliated with
Associated Grocers (AG) out
of Joplin, Missouri, an organization similar to the Independent Grocer's Association (IGA). The store became known as the "LoraWilliams AG Food Market."
Lora retired around 1970
and lived in the house next
to the store until her death in
October 1977. Thelma Ball,her daughter Jane's motherin-law, assumed responsibility for the store after Lora's
retirement. In 1971, Loratransferred the property to
her daughter Jane. Thelma
Ball purchased the property
from Jane in 1972.
The current owners, Joe
and Isabelle Eisler, purchased the property from
Thelma Ball in 1973. The
Eislers erected the greenhouse, but have otherwise
maintained the historic character of the property. The
store continues to operate asa grocery and deli run by
their nephew Scott Nelson,
President of the Kansas
Route 66 Association. It remains an icon for Route 66.

From the United States
Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic
Places Registration Form.

Thank You and Please visit us onYou
your next trip on Route 66
next

The History of the Kansas Route 66
Historic District, East of Galena

The initial improvements
to this segment of Route 66
were made during the peak of
the mining boom in the TriState lead mining district, an
area that extended from Galena east to Joplin andCarthage, Missouri, and south
through Baxter Springs into
northeastern Oklahoma. Mining in this area began in 1876
with the discovery of lead ore
in Galena. Within thirty days,
the population of this largely
undeveloped area swelled to
ten thousand as miners rushed
in to capital ize on the potential
wealth. By the turn of the twentieth century, the populationof Galena had stabilized ataround five thousand. The
community boasted paved
streets, sewers, city water, andboth city and interurban electric streetcars. Running from
Baxter Springs and Galena to
Joplin and Carthage, Missouri,
the streetcars connected area
workers to jobs at mines
throughout the Tri-State Mining District.
The intitial road improvements were most likely financed by a special benefit
district formed by the local
mining companies. Kansas law
provided adjacent property
owners the ability to createsuch benefit districts to fundroad improvements assuming
the road was considered a"public utility." As early as
1903, the roads received a hardsurface utilizing the tailings,
or chat, produced by the local

mines. The ground up chatformed a hard concrete-likesurface that withstood theheavy traffic the road received.
Additional road improvements occured in 1922 and
1923. In addition to the special
benefit district, money Kansas
received through the Federal
Highway Act of 1921 funded
the construction of the concrete stuctures, including the
viaduct over the railroad tracks.
Contemporary improvements
along Route 66 also included
the construction of the two
Marsh Arch Bridges, one atRiverton (now demolished)
and one at the Brush Creek
Curve (listed on the National
Register). Other then repaving, virtually no changes havebeen made to this section ofroad over the last 80 years.
The peaceful journey oftravelers and truckers along
this section of road was disrupted in June of 1935 during
a strike at the Eagle-Picher leadsmelter. Located north of theroad, between the triple culvert and the 90-degree curve,
this facility was among theleading processors of lead ore
in the country during the firstpart of the 20th century. During the spring of 1935, leadersof the Union of Mine, Mill,and Smelter Workers called astrike to protest working conditions and asking the mine
operators to recognize theunion. On June 28, nearly twomonths into the strike, a violent attack broke out on Route66 in front of the Eagle-Picher
Smelter. Several hundred strikers gathered near the smelter,
throwing rocks and threatening to shoot any scab workers
attempting to enter or exit theplant. Automobilies were overturned, and all traffic on Route66 was stopped. Twelve men
were hurt. While the minesand processing facilities had
returned to nearly normal production schedules by August,protests and sporadic violent
incidents, such as dynamiting
the gas lines feeding thesmelter, continued for several
years.
The setting of this stretchof road remains the most distinctive feature of Route 66
through Kansas. From its inception the road entered Kansas through an industrial wasteland created by nearly 50 yearsof mining. Both the 1937 WPA
guidebook to Kansas and a1946 guidebook to Route 66
comment on the distinctiveness of this particular landscape. The WPA writers noted,"Lying in all directions fromthe highway are man-madewhite mountains of chert, residue from the mines, topped
occasionally with gaunt black
mills and separated by dusty
roads, railroad tracks, andpatches of rock and cindercovered wasteland." The guidecalls the Galena Smelter, agreat gray hulk surrounded bya maze of chat-covered roads
and railroad tracks." This ubiquitous detritus has unequivo-

cally "destroyed the original
beauty of the country." A decade later, the Rittenhouse
guide notes the "great piles of'chert' or 'chat,' the waste fromthe lead and zinc mines," that
dominates the landscape between Joplin and Galena. Today, most of the mines haveplayed out, and while still
harsh, efforts have been madeto reclaim the damaged landscape. North of Route 66,
buildings from the EaglePicher smelting facility still
stand, although the hulking
Galena Smelter is no longer
extant. And, a reclamation
project in the 1990s planted
prairie grasses on the remaining chat piles south of 66 andsealed most of the remaining
open mine shafts. Grasses
aside, the landscape remains
haunted and unnatural and is a
striking element of one's journey through Kansas along thisroad.

From the United States
Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic
Places Registration Form.

PAGE 3

PAGE 6

Riverton, Kansas

From Across the Seas...

...And Across the Land

Memory of
Visionary Ownerof Eisler Bros.

April 26, 1920-Nov. 10, 2007

An audience from a touring British bus, giving the "Keenagers" a big hand for their Volkswagons from Texas, Canada, and all around hit Kansas last week for a visit at
Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store.
rendition of Route 66 at Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store.

Isabell Loughmiller
Eisler, co-owner of Eisler
Bros. Old Riverton Storepassed away on November
10, 2007 in Allen, Tx., sheand Joe Eisler came to Riverton over 34 years ago. The
Eisler's purchased the (Lora
Williams) store in 1973. At
the time of their purchase,
Isabell recognized it's value
to the community and to
Route 66. Both Isabell and
Joe agreed to maintain, butnever change the old history
laden store, and so it is today
an icon of the past that sitson the side of Route 66, inRiverton, Ks., bringing travelers from all over the world
to walk in the footsteps oftime, to view the old days

through this ancient reality,
the Old Riverton Store, thatremains busy and vibrant
today.
Coming to Riverton over
34 years ago, both Joe andIsabell learned to love thepeople and the community
even though they only lived
here for about 3-4 years.
Joe's position with Wolf
Medical Instruments required their move to Allen,
Tx. Isabell's desire was tokeep it as nearly as possible
in its original state. She neverlost interest in the community and was always interested in the welfare of those
who lived here. Her visionof the store has kept it intack, and today Eisler Bros.
is on the map throughout theworld. Filmed and documented all over the globe.
The existing store originally had an open front
porch, but the present closed
in porch replaced that in1933. The interior haschanged little since 1925. A
pressed metal ceiling is usedthroughout the building. The
building was divided into
two primary spaces, theOnce known as the "Williams Store", Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store, located on HWY 66 in Riverton, Kansas,
continues to attract visitors from all over the world
east section which was, andis, used as the commercial
area and the west section
consisting of three rooms
which was the residence of
Leo and Lora Williams andtheir daughter, Jane Marie.
In the 1940's the Williams moved their residence
to the house next door to thestore. Today the original
living room, houses Route66 merchandise and souvenirs.
There were gasoline
pumps in front of the store

for many years, leased firstto Texaco and later to Standard Oil. The store itself
carried everything from groceries to general merchandise - shoes, clothes, milk,
fresh meat, a wide variety ofgoods. Leo also barbecued
beef and venison in a pit
behind the store and served
sandwiches to customers.
Lora served her special
recipe of chili.
Customers were mostly

local people, but the store
played an important role on
Route 66 as the traffic increased through the late 20's,
30's, 40's and 50's.
There were originally
two outhouses back of thestore. One now remains,
painted white with a thinmoon silhouette cut into thedoor. Leo and Lora Williams ran the store until 1945
when they leased the grocery to Lloyd Paxson. Leo

Travelers from along Route 66

A motorcycle group from over seas poses in front of Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store.

Ham Radio Operators
Broadcast from Eisler Bros.
Old Riverton Store
Ham Radio Operators David Hargood (pictured on the left) and Roger Wilson spenta weekend at Eisler Bros. Old Riverton Store with their Ham Radios and talking to otherfrom around the world about being on the "Mother Road." Eisler Bros. has been a regular
hot spot for Ham Radio Operators with entire crews coming in the past and broadcastingfor nearly a week. Ham is a slang term for amateurs which commercial operators used tocall amateur radio operators when they were frustrated by picking up interference fromamateur radio operators. The term Ham has been adopted by modern amatuer radio
operators, maybe without full knowledge of its derogatory meaning.

Eisler Bros. on Route 66 Riverton, Ks. since 1925
Bikers from Norway

The Galena part of Old
Route 66 has the mostcomplete section of road
bed and also
is the longest sectionin Kansas to retain its
original design
largely intact
Bikers from Norway

CYAN

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

died in 1948, so when the
Paxson lease expired, Lora
returned to the store and operated it until about 1970,
and currently the store continues under management ofIsbell's nephew Scott
Nelson.

Get your
Kicks on 66

PAGE 4

PAGE 5

Historians scout sites on 'the mother road'
From the Joplin Globe, By Wally Kennedy
Thursday, June 25, 1992
Globe Staff Writer

As providing the basis for the
National Register nomination.
A 307-mile segment of Route66 was designated an historic highway in Missouri in 1990, the firstsuch legislation of its kind along
the eight-state route. A year later,
the first of 300 signs marking thepath of the highway were erected.
Funding for the signs, about$19,000, was raised through thejoint efforts of the Missouri association, and 25 communities and
10 counties along the route.

Continued story from pg. 4
Oklahoma is the only state tosurvey all of its portion of Route
66. The Oklahoma Historical Society helped design the survey in
1984. Preservationists identified
some 30 buildings as nominees
for the National Register.
Melvina Heisch, with the
Oklahoma Historical Society, said
some of the nominated buildingsthat were identified in 1984 aregone now, but preservationists arepushing hard to designate thosethat remain.

From the Archives...

"Even when a building islisted, there is no guarantee it will
stay in place," she said. "A registered building can be demolishedor severely altered."
The survey was promoted by
the historical society, the state Department of Tourism and the National Trust for Historic Preservation with a singular purpose inmind.
"It is hoped that this will become a real draw for tourists. Route66 conjures up all kinds of emotion and excitement," she said.

Rainbow Bridge Dedication

listed on the National Historic Registry on March 10,
1983.
The bridge was constructed in 1923 and represented Federal Project no.
142. Kansas Highway Commission Chairman at the time
was Jonathan M. Davis.
Delmont, who waspresent at the ceremonies,
noted that once the commission realized the significanceof the bridge they worked tohelp preserve. the historic
bridge.
Delmont also noted that

Kansans push for a resurection of Route 66

men from the Correctional
Center in Labette County From the Sunday, July 7, 1991 issue of the Morning Sun By Neal McChristy, Morning Sun Staff Writer
should be thanked for their in Pittsburg, Kansas
work in cleaning and plachis greenery-shaded patio. Soda
ing the signs at each end of
pop on the table was water-chilled
the bridge.
from a pop cooler at the store.
Thelma Lou Miller was
Nelson says the recognition ofalso present at the ceremony,
the route will help his business,representing her brother,and that's his interest.
Roy Weiss, who helped con"It's good for us," he said. "Youstruct the bridge in 1923.
have to have an old place in an old
Weiss was 25 years old whenlocation. A quick-stop place
he began working on thewouldn't be a good place to sellbridge. Mrs. Miller brought
things about Route 66. In 1925,
a family photo album thatthey built this, and I guess in anshowed her brother working
ticipation of the road."on the bridge.
The store has been visited by a

From the Oct. 12, 1994 issue of the Galena Sentinel-Times

Some of the Route 66 Associations
KansasRoute 66 Association of Kansas
P.O. Box 66
Riverton, KS(620) 848-3330

CALIFORNIA
California Historic Route 66 Association
P.O. Box 64
Azusa, CA 91702-0064(909) 885-6324

Scott Nelson saved Rainbow Bridge on Route 66 in Kansas from closure.
Unlike the cars that raced
across America on Route 66 forhalf a century, the drive to preserve segments of John
Steinbeck's "mother road" andthe tourist stops that flank its
roadbed has been anything but
speedy.
But preservationists in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma,
like those in other states that arehome to America's Main Street,are making inroads.
The task, in relation to thesize of the project, is enormous,preservationists say. Route 66
is a 2,200-mile slab of runningconcrete that stretches acrossthe heartland from Chicago to
the Pacific Ocean.
Becauseofthenationalscopeof the project, the federal governmentbecame involved when
it passed the Route 66 Study
Act of 1990. The National Park
Service has been given authority to determine what, if anything, the federal government
should do to preserve the decertified federal highway. The Park
Service will issue a report on
Route 66 in 1994.
Many of the mom-and-pop
operations - the service stations,restaurants, tourist courts, motels, and garages - that madeRoute 66 such an experience
have faded into memory andare now classified as archaeological sites.
Only seven segments ofRoute 66, located in Arizona,
have been placed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Efforts are under way in
MissouriandOklahomatoidentify buildings, structures, andsites that are worthy of preserCYAN

vation.
In Kansas, a 13.2-mile segment of the highway runs fromGalena to Baxter Springs. Preservationists,ledbyScottNelson,
who operates a general store inRiverton and serves as president of the Kansas Route 66
Association, achieved a major
triumph this year when a compromise was reached with theCherokee County Commissionthat maintains the historic character of Rainbow Bridge, a concrete arch bridge on Route 66
north of Baxter Springs.
The bridge, which wasplaced on the National Registerby the Kansas Department ofTransportation, will be used forwestbound traffic only, insteadof being completely bypassed
by a new bridge. There wasnever any plan to demolish it.
"It was the only bridge of its
kindonRoute66andwethought
it should remain open to traffic
as a tourist attraction," Nelsonsaid. "We worked very hardfrom November to March to
keep it open, and we contacted
whoever we could for help."
The value of Route 66 to
Galena, Riverton, and Baxter
Springs in terms of tourist dollars, Nelson said, is evident by
the stream of visitors who passthrough Riverton.
"We are getting people fromall over the world," said Nelson.
"Recently, the San Francisco
Examiner did a story on Route
66. I have received mail fromacross the country. In fact, every time a major newspaper
does a story I end up with abacklog of mail from people
who want information about

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Route 66 in Kansas," he said.
"There are 250 million
people in this country and if one
million, a small percent of thetotal, are interested in Route 66,
well, you can see the potential
impact," said Nelson.
In Missouri, only one property associated with the highway, the Coral Court Motel insuburban St. Louis, is listed on
the National Register. The
Connor Hotel in Joplin, with its
main entrance fronting Route66, was on the National Register before it was demolished in
1978.
Beverly Fleming, director of
the Route 66 Association of
Missouri, said the association
will attempt to document 200
buildings along rural portionsof the route for placement on the
National Register. The nominees for designation, she said,
do not include other buildings
and sites in St. Louis, Springfield, and Joplin. The Missouri
Department of Natural Resources has given the association as $11,531 grant to hiresomeone who is trained in architectural history to do the survey.
"Just how difficult the survey will be is unknown since noone has ever done a highway
survey of this kind in Missouri,"
she said. "It could be a muchlarger task than we imagined."
Ms. Fleming said the historicalinformationcouldbeused
to produce promotional literature and exhibits, as well

ARIZONA
Arizona Route 66 Association
120 W. Andy Devine Avenue
Kingman, AZ 86402(928) 753-5001

NEW MEXICONew Mexico Route 66 Association
1415 Central NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106(505) 852-2995

TEXAS

The Kansas Historic
Route 66 Association madea special presentation last
Saturday to Cherokee
County Commissioner John
Delmont and the Cherokee
County Commissioners a
special certificate of appreciation for their efforts involved in keeping Rainbow

Bridge open and accessible
to tourist and travelers. Rainbow bridge is located westof Riverton on Historic
Route 66.
The association noted thatthe efforts in the preservation of the historically significant bridge saves a significant part of old Rt. 66.

The bridge was noted as oneof the more memorable stops
on the legendary highway.
The Rainbow Bridge,
which spans Brush Creek,
represents the last remaining Marsh Arch Bridge on
Route 66. The bridge wasContinued on Page 5

Old Route 66 Association of Texas
P.O. Box 66
McLean, TX 79057(806) 779-2225

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Route 66 Association
P.O. Box 446
Chandler, OK 74834(405) 258-0008

MISSOURI
Missouri Route 66 Association
P.O. Box 8117
St. Louis, MO 63156(417) 865-1318

ILLINOIS
Illinois Route 66 Association
110 W. Howard
Pontiac, IL 61764

Scott Nelson, chairman of the Kansas Historical Route 66 Association, stands in the
middle of Route 66 in Riverton, which runs in front of the convenience store hemanages, the Eisler Brothers Market. The store, which opened a year before Route 66
did, has two Kansas U.S. 66 signs sporting the front and sells a variety of Route 66
memorabilia.
Many area residents
remember driving on'America's Main Street'
RIVERTON - Even thoughKansas wasn't in the song, there
are plenty of people in southeast
Kansas singing the praises today about the historical value ofRoute 66.
In addition to the "Get Your
Kicks On Route 66" song by
Bobby Troup, people have written books about the highway. A
television series, "Route 66,"
starring Geroge Maharis andTroy Donahue, was broadcast
in the '60s. And people have
driven it in everything from 1926
to 1992 Fords since it opened in
1926.
By this fall, Kansas is expected to join other states inmarking the historic Chicago to
Los Angeles highway. Teh 13.2mile Kansas route winds throughGalena, Riverton, and Baxter

Springs.
The State of Kansas will put
up two signs - one each as the
motorist enters from Missouri
and Oklahoma.
The 200-member Kansas
Historical Route 66 Associationplans to raise $2,500 to put about
50 more signs along the routeand promote it as a tourism site.
T-shirts are being sold for thispurpose, but donations are welcome.
This is their way to mark"America's Main Street," as it
was called. Others called it "TheMother Road." Another nickname: "Will Rogers Highway."
And Bobby Troup has beenenrolled in Kansas' 200-member group, thanks to Lucy Weiss,
Baxter Springs.
"It was real cute when I called
him," Weiss said. "...I said I had
one question, 'How come youleft Kansas out of the song?' andhe said, 'Nat King Cole did that.'"Whether it was in the song of
not, Kansans remember driving
it.
Vivian McCormick, Pittsburg, remembers just getting herlicense at age 16 and helping
drive the family car, a 1963
Chevrolet. They took Route 66
west, and she said her father
insisted they look at scenes in
the countryside.
"I got a wealth of educationfrom that," she said, "and I've
never forgotten it."Years earlier, Bob Hardwick,

was about age 4 when they
opened the route in 1926. He
helped open the route in Oklahoma by riding a horse in theparade.
Later, he upped his horsepower
to a 1937 Ford convertible, but
still rode Route 66.
"We'd go to Oklahoma andsometimes Illinois," he said. "We
always took 66 whenever we traveled, because it was kind of apersonal thing."
Charlene Webb, Riverton,drove the highway to California.
She now helps head the Kansas
Historical Route 66 Association
in southeast Kansas as vice-president.
"I think now it's just the only
old road that ties all of these states
together," she said, "and goes from
Chicago to the west coast."
One location along the routethat has remained there since a
year before Route 66 opened isnow called the Eisler Brothers
Market, Riverton. The manager,
Scott Nelson, was recently elected
to chair the Kansas Route 66 Association.
The store has two Kansas U.S.
66 signs sporting the front. And if
you want Route 66 t-shirts, coffee
cups, earrings... You name it they're probably there.
"They even have Route 66
cologne," Nelson said. "It's notout yet, but there's a man making
it."He sat at one of the ivorycolored tables in the coolness ofNotre Dame history professor, aGerman film crew and a freelance photographer from Japan.
The store was built by Leo andLora Williams in 1925, then soldto Nelson's aunt and uncle, Isabelle
and Joe Eisler, in 1973.
"They're interested in preservation and renovation, and sothey're going to renovate the wholething in the next year. It's all going
to be original."
The U.S. 66 route throughsoutheast Kansas does not follow
the main road. For example, theoriginal road used to cut behind
where the McDonald's is now located in Baxter Springs, and about
a quarter mile through Riverton is
not driveable. But bridges thatwere part of the original still stand,and Nelson has a tip on how todetermine if it's the original route.
"If you follow the road andyou go through few curves,"
Nelson said, "you know you're on
the new one and not the old one.""That was just the road they
took everywhere they went,"
Weiss said. "To Joplin and everywhere, but they didn't think it wasanything but just the road theytook.
"It made history for itself at
the time, but we're making history
now by working to promote it."
McCormick said it would link
well with tourism such as the proposed "Land of Ah's" theme park
in Cherokee County.
Webb calls the Kansas portion "the knot tying it together inthe corner of the state.""I feel like 66 is sort like family, "Hardwick said.

Enojoy yourtime inRiverton, KS