Route 66 in the News
New Route 66 Museum Focus of Festival
2004-09-07 21:27:28
Lebanon's Route 66 Festival has featured a museum ever since it was first held here in 2001. But this year, instead of being set up a few days before in one of the Cowan Civic Center's meeting rooms, the museum is a permanent 3,500-square-foot fixture inside the new Lebanon-Laclede County Library.
The Route 66 Museum and its adjoining research center are the centerpiece of this year's festival, which begins Friday with an open house at 6 p.m. and a dedication ceremony at 7 p.m.
"The museum's opening will make this year's festival very special," said Bill Wheeler, the president of the Lebanon/Laclede County Route 66 Society. "A lot of hard work has gone into this project. ... We wanted to make this a big event and draw attention to the museum because it's going to be with us for a long, long time."
Decorated with murals painted by area students depicting the close ties between Route 66 and the history of the Lebanon area, the museum includes a wide variety of historic road signs, maps, furniture and other artifacts from the famous highway as well as historic memorabilia. Also featured in the museum are recreations of a classic old-time diner and a gas station that will include a rotating collection of antique cars.
The museum already has had several visitors as volunteers have put the collection together. A group of tour bus operators recently went through the museum, which led to two tours this week.
Several visitors from the Lebanon area also have received a sneak preview of the museum, including Leaun Ruble, who decided to stop by when he had some time between errands Wednesday morning. Ruble said what he found at the museum brought back many memories of growing up in Stoutland, when he and his friends used to watch soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood drive down the highway "at breakneck speed."
"I think it's fantastic," Ruble said. "I told my wife several times that I needed to come down here and see what they had put together. I think it's great."
Ruble is isn't the only resident to get a sneak preview at the museum: Many visitors, as well as two bus tours, stopped by this week as volunteers put on the finishing touches on the historic memorabilia and artifacts.
The opening festivities will feature book signings by numerous authors who have written about Route 66, including Drew Knowles, Marian Clark, Jim Ross, Shellee Graham and William Kaszynski, many of whom are returning after appearing at the festival in 2003 and previous years.
The keynote speaker for the grand opening will be Jim Powell, a past president and founder of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Powell also has contributed a number of artifacts to the museum, including up to 300 books about the highway and a number of historic maps that date back to 1912.
Ramona Lehman, a board member of the local Route 66 society and the owner of the historic Munger-Moss Motel in Lebanon, said many of Powell's contributions are featured in the Route 66 Research Center, which adjoins the museum. The center will feature hundreds of books, magazines and videos about the route, along with a collection of 650 highway maps.
"I think once the word gets out, we will have a lot of people coming in to see it," Lehman said.
Wheeler and Lehman said society members envision the museum and research center drawing a large number of both tourists and serious enthusiasts. "We hope to become one of the foremost research libraries for Route 66," Lehman said.
Other activities during the Route 66 Festival will get under way at 11 a.m. Saturday with the annual parade of classic cars along Elm Street. This year, the parade will honor all fire, law-enforcement and emergency personnel to mark the third anniversary of 9-11 and feature vintage automobiles along with new cars, unique cars, bicycles and even people walking the route. Those who have a car they would like to enter, especially convertibles, should contact Chris Robinson or Justin Shadel at 532-6161.
After the vehicles pass the reviewing stand at the Cowan Civic Center, judges will present trophies to the winners in four categories, including Mayor's Choice, Senator's Choice, Director's Favorite and Society's Favorite. A car show in the civic center's exhibition hall will follow at noon.
Events continue at 1 p.m. Saturday in the civic center's theater with the Little Miss Route 66 Pageant, followed at 3 p.m. by the Miss Route 66 Pageant.
Between the pageants, beginning at 2:30 p.m., a 66-mile poker run will be held from the Lebanon-Laclede County Library to Waynesville and back. At various points en route, competitors will stop to get cards and try to build the best poker hand to win cash prizes.
Evening events begin at 4:30 p.m. with the Route 66 Gala Ball, featuring the 17-piece Lake of the Ozarks Jazz Band. Held in the foyer of the Cowan Civic Center, the ball will include a "road food" dinner of old-time favorites such as meatloaf and fried chicken.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, the second annual performance of "Main Street USA: Route 66 The Musical" will be held in the theater. The play, written by Lebanon residents Frances Wood and Beth Esther, tells the story of how Lebanon came to be on the famous route and what life was like along the highway during its heyday.
The festival also will include children's games and activities, along with food, refreshments and souvenirs. While many of the events are free, the poker run and both Saturday evening events require tickets.
Tickets for the musical are $5 in advance or $8 at the door. A package of tickets for the both the musical, the gala ball and dinner are $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door. Tickets are available at the Cowan Civic Center front desk.
For more information, call the civic center at 532-4642.
~Matt Decker, Lebanon Daily Record
Comments about this article? Tell us.
Need to Know More?
SEARCH Route 66 University.
Home : Our Campus : Maps : Businesses : Events
Study 66 : COMMUNITY : Photo Tour : Campus Rag : Catalog
