Roadside History

Latest stories

  • Historic Site along the Shortest Stretch of the DBH

    Kansas has the shortest stretch of Route 66 totaling only 13.2 miles. Baxter Springs is one of a few towns along that piece of road. It’s here that you’ll find the Independent Oil and Gas Service Station, a proud tribute to the DBH and its history. What immediately stands out about The Independent upon first […] More

  • Lead Mines of Galena, Kansas

    Galena, Kansas, takes its name from its most valuable resource – lead sulfide ore, which is also known as galena. Lead was discovered in this part of Kansas in 1877 and caused a mining boom in the region. Lead was an incredibly important in the late 1800s because it was used in ammunition, plumbing, paint, […] More

  • Rockin’ Down the DBH: The Polk-A-Dot Drive-In

    Head on down to Braidwood, Illinois to find the iconic Polk-A-Dot Drive-In on 66. Since the beginning, this roadside cafe has been like a shrine to mid 20th-century music and culture.  Here’s how it got started: 1956 was a flourishing time for many businesses along the Mother Road. President Eisenhower approved the Federal-Aid Highway Act […] More

  • Maxie: The World’s Largest Goose in Sumner, Missouri

    In the heartland of America, where rolling plains meet vast skies, lies Sumner, Missouri. This small town, celebrated as the “Wild Goose Capital of the World,” boasts a unique and whimsical attraction: Maxie, the world’s largest goose. Towering 40 feet tall with a wingspan of 62 feet, Maxie embodies the spirit of Americana and stands […] More

  • Route 66’s ONLY Round Barn

    The 66 marker across the street from the Round Barn of Arcadia reads “whether motorists called Route 66 The Ozark Trail, The Will Rogers Highway, Main Street of America or The Mother Road, all remember Arcadia’s round barn. The well-known landmark was built in 1898 by W. H. Odor.” Iconic due to its round shape, […] More

  • Wigwam Hotels and Teepee Motels of Route 66

    What comes to mind when you think of Route 66? Novelty architecture and teepee motels! The Wigwam Motels started as a motel chain in the 1930s. Built to resemble Native American teepees, they were mistakenly named wigwams. Originally there were seven wigwam villages (Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, and California). Today three of the villages […] More

  • Discover Cadillac Ranch: The Controversial Art Project That Became a Route 66 Landmark

    In the windswept vastness of the Texas Panhandle, where the sky stretches out like an unending canvas, there lies a surreal spectacle: ten Cadillacs, half-buried nose-first in a farmer’s field. This is no mere automobile cemetery. This is art, anarchy, and quintessentially American — it’s Cadillac Ranch. A remarkable fusion of capitalism and counter-culture, it […] More