Lake Overholser Bridge may become pedestrian-only May 6, 2007
Posted by Ron in Highways, History, Preservation.add a comment
First, the good news about the old Lake Overholser Bridge on an old alignment of Route 66, as told by the Daily Oklahoman:
Now the bridge, just outside Bethany city limits, is to be restored by Oklahoma City. The restored bridge will lead to a project Hoskison envisioned: a statue of Will Rogers in a small park at the intersection of State Highway 66 and North Overholser Drive.
Now, the bad news:
Oklahoma City’s plan is to restore the bridge in 2008 and reopen it to pedestrian traffic only, said Dennis Clowers, Oklahoma City’s public works director. [...]
The bridge has more significance ahead, he said, because it is only about 100 yards from a planned retail district in Bethany — to be called Bridge Pointe — with shops and restaurants similar to Moore’s Riverwalk district. Construction on the project is expected to begin soon in an undeveloped area southeast of 8500 N. Overholser Drive and 4000 E. Overholser Drive, Hoskison said.
Converting the bridge to pedestrian-only is a bittersweet development. I’ve always enjoyed driving over that bridge, as it is a true link to Route 66 history: it was built in 1924 (predating Route 66) and was mentioned in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” Perhaps keeping the bridge open to automobile traffic was too taxing on the structure.
Also, a development near the bridge will remove much of the area’s serenity. Still, an old Route 66 bridge becoming a centerpiece of a commercial district isn’t entirely a bad thing — not by a long shot.
Keeping the bridge is better than tearing it down and building a new, nondescript bridge. So I’m looking at the water glass being half-full here.
(Photo courtesy of Guy Randall.)
Grant preserves forest near Funks Grove May 6, 2007
Posted by Ron in Attractions, Businesses, Food, Preservation.1 comment so far
The forest that lies near the Route 66 settlement of Funks Grove, Ill., is mostly unchanged since the Funk family settled there in 1824.
Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, that forest grove will remain pristine. The Sugar Grove Foundation in Funks Grove was able to buy 476 acres of the old-growth land and beef up its land holdings, reports the Peoria Journal-Star.
In the midst of the trees and prairie grasses, the Sugar Grove Foundation operates the Sugar Grove Nature Center, a year-round facility for nature education. The center offers family activities, including hands-on nature exhibits, field trips and classes for children, guided walks through more than five miles of prairie trails, and workshops for adults, as well as a public astronomy observatory and a variety of gardens that produce plants native to Illinois. [...]
With the help of the grant used to acquire newly protected land, Angela Smith, director of the Sugar Grove Nature Center, said she hopes to continue the 182-year land preservation commitment established by the Funk and Stubblefield families who founded Funks Grove and continue their efforts today. [...]
The Funks Grove land already contains four dedicated nature preserves and has been designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.
Funks Grove is also home to Funks Grove Maple Sirup, which is harvested from sap from the native maple trees there. The Funks also make maple leaf candy, truffles and maple cream.
