SHSMO Springfield Research Center

05/29/2026

Join SHSMO archivist Ashley Weaver, along with host Kathleen Seale, as we learn about Stony Dell Resort, the Prewett family, who expanded their enterprise to include a park with a picnic area, a rock garden, and a zoo looking to stand out from other roadside stops. Register online, https://shsmo.org/events/2026/asphalt-archives-telling-missouri-route-66-story-disneyland-ozarks-stony-dell-swimming.

On Stony Dell’s opening day, the Rolla Herald reported that the pool in Arlington, Mo., attracted over 1,000 visitors; it quickly became a popular entertainment spot for locals, travelers along Route 66, construction workers, and military personnel at nearby Fort Leonard Wood during the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. the amenities at the Stony Dell complex included a spring-fed swimming pool with a slide and diving board, a stone bathhouse, a restaurant, rustic cabins, a souvenir shop, a filling station, and a park with a picnic area. Stony Dell like many of its Route 66 counterparts, continuously looked for ways to appeal to travelers.

05/26/2026

04/27/2026

Listen to this month's episode here: https://www.ksmu.org/show/archives/2026-04-27/the-colonial-hotel

The State Historical Society of Missouri archivist Haley Frizzle-Green shares the story of the building that helped make Springfield the Birthplace of Route 66.

04/27/2026

SHSMO is hitting the road!
Missouri's Route 66 Road Trip with Kathleen Seale
Follow along on Facebook and Instagram
Sunday, April 26 through Friday, May 1
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What better way to celebrate the centennial of Route 66 than with a road trip! Whether you're in Paris, Missouri, or Paris, France, you can follow along with us on social media as we drive from St. Louis to Joplin, stopping at iconic Missouri places that helped immortalize Route 66 in pop culture for the past century.

Our resident Route 66 expert, Kathleen Seale, Coordinator of the Rolla and Springfield Research Centers, will be our guide. Through photos, videos, and Facebook Live, Katie will talk about the history of the legendary road as we travel, also interviewing business owners, travelers, and Route 66 enthusiasts alike along the way.

From eating at the iconic Big Chief Roadhouse in Wildwood, to taking in the lights of Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert, to checking out Bonnie & Clyde's apartment in Joplin, we'll explore legendary Route 66 spots across the state. We'll join the National Route 66 Kickoff festivities in Springfield on April 30, where you can learn why Springfield is known as the birthplace of Route 66.
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03/25/2026

03/24/2026

St. Louis Street, later renamed East St. Louis Street in Springfield, Missouri, was apart of the original Route 66 route. The Springfield Veterinary Hospital was built in 1929 on St. Louis Street. The facility was the oldest continuous veterinary hospital in Missouri before the practice moved to Galloway Village in 2008.
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"Springfield Veterinary Hospital," John F. Bradbury Jr. Postcard Collection (R1551). Learn more about historic places along Route 66 in Missouri here: https://shsmo.org/interactives/route66
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03/23/2026

This map showing the Central Ozarks region in Missouri was published in the 1940s by the Central Ozark Association. Advertised activities include golfing, float fishing, "motoring" and more. What's your favorite place in the Ozarks?
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"Central Ozarks Region of Missouri Map," Robert L. Elgin Travel & Tourism Collection (R0623-03-01). To see more maps, photos and postcards regarding tourism and travel in Missouri, click here: https://tinyurl.com/SHSMOTravel
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02/27/2026

Host and archivist Haley Frizzle-Green looks at Route 66, segregation, the Green Book and Alberta's Hotel.

02/20/2026

"Colored directories," like this one from a century ago, helped Black communities safely navigate segregated cities, and provided visibility for Black professionals in an era of discrimination. Pictured is the Colored Directory for Columbia, Missouri published in May of 1927. The businesses who placed ads in this directory made it possible for it to be distributed to the Black community free of charge. The introduction states, "Their direct ad to you reflects their faith in the colored men's trade and their desire for a share of your business."
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"Colored Directory, Columbia MO 1927," Boone County Missouri Black Archives Collection, (C4057). View the rest of the digitized directory here: https://tinyurl.com/ColoredDirectorySHSMO
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