The October 2026 stories will include ghost stories along Missouri Route 66, including the Spooklight near Joplin.
Provided
By Chad Stebbins
Route 66 played a significant role in Missouri’s history by serving as a transportation corridor that boosted economic growth, cultural exchange, and tourism across the state.
Established in 1926, the “Mother Road” connected rural Missouri communities to major markets and destinations, helping local commerce. Over time, a distinctive roadside culture of diners, motels, gas stations, and tourist attractions emerged, many of which still remain today.
Because long stretches of the original Route 66 remain intact, Missouri continues to benefit from the highway through heritage tourism and local preservation efforts. The route’s centennial in 2026 is expected to draw increased national and international attention to what is often called “America’s Main Street.”
As part of the celebration − and to capitalize on Missouri’s distinction as one of only eight states on Route 66 − the Missouri Press Association is launching a “100 Years on Route 66 in 52 Weeks” series this month for our member newspapers. We have lined up eight freelance writers to provide four or five Missouri Route 66 stories to our papers every month throughout 2026.
Jeremy Patton, MPA’s graphic designer, has created page layouts complete with photos and captions for every story. You can run the pages “as is,” or you can modify them to fit your own particular needs. If you don’t want to run the entire page, you can publish just the story (perhaps with an accompanying photo). If you don’t have room for any of this free content, we’re hoping you will post the stories on your website.
No matter how you utilize the stories, please be sure to credit our two series sponsors – the Missouri Division of Tourism and Missouri State Parks – every time you use something. The sponsorships are paying for our freelancers.
Speaking of sponsorships, please feel free to contact your local advertisers to buy an ad for the pages Jeremy designed. (You can replace the MPA house ad that is on there now.) If your paper is on Route 66 or close to it, it might be a fairly easy sell. Be sure to read the note from Ted Lawrence on page 14 of this magazine for some ideas.
I’d like to introduce you to those eight freelancers we have lined up:
- Kip Welborn is a member of the board of directors of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. He has written articles for several Route 66 publications, including the National Historic Route 66 Federation Magazine, American Road Magazine, and Show Me Route 66 Magazine, the official magazine for the Route 66 Association. He is currently a staff writer for the Show Me Route 66 Magazine.
- Gary Sosniecki is senior adviser of the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society. Gary and his wife, Helen, are former publishers of four Missouri newspapers, including weeklies they owned in Humansville, Seymour, and Vandalia. Gary was MPA president in 2004.
- Susan Croce Kelly is the author of two prize-winning books on the history of Route 66 and has lived in three U.S. 66 communities − Chicago, St. Louis, and Springfield, Missouri. She grew up hearing family stories about the old road, and after working as a newspaper reporter in St. Louis and Springfield, decided she needed to find out about 66 for herself.
- Jim Hinckley is the author of 23 books including The Route 66 Encyclopedia, Ghost Towns of Route 66, and Murder and Mayhem on The Main Street of America: Tales from Bloody 66. Sharing America’s story and inspiring road trips by telling people where to go is Jim’s passion and the foundation for Jim Hinckley’s America − www.jimhinckleysamerica.com − a multifaceted network that includes a Facebook page, YouTube channel, website, Instagram, and the weekly Coffee With Jim podcast that is designated an official Route 66 centennial program.
- Elizabeth Olwig is a historian, preservation advocate, and photographer drawn to the beauty of the forgotten. You can follow her backroad travels and urban-exploration adventures on Instagram @elizabetholwigcreative.
- Cheryl Eichar Jett is the author of the upcoming book Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66, which will be published this spring. She wrote the Illinois chapter for the recently released Route 66: 100 Years, and also has a monthly column covering “Along Route 66 and Beyond” for Prairie Land Buzz, a regional Illinois publication.
- Bob Ford is a syndicated history/humor writer from St. Joseph. You can find more of his work on his website, bobfordshistory.com, and videos on YouTube, TikTok and Clapper.
- Kaylea M. Hutson-Miller is an award-winning journalist with connections to southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma newspapers. She currently freelances for multiple publications. In 2019 she left the newsroom full-time to become a high school English, speech/drama, and journalism teacher. She resides in northeast Oklahoma. Her website, www.myscrappylife.com, is under construction for a 2026 reboot.
The January series starts with some of the history and early days of Route 66. Those stories are available to you now, through a Dropbox folder at https://bit.ly/MoPressRoute66 or via the MPA website. Be sure to look for four or five more stories every month as we all get our kicks on Route 66.
