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Route 66 history has a new home in Carthage, Missouri

Jasper County’s historic courthouse is a frequent stop for tourists traveling Route 66.

Now, Route 66 history is a part of the courthouse, in a display that mimics Carthage’s former Boots Drive-In.

Workers with the Joplin Museum Complex have installed the exhibit, and more elements will be added later, said Chris Wiseman, museum curator.

At 18 feet wide and 13 feet tall, the display is a representation of the front of the former drive-in that will have artifacts from the Mother Road. Members of the Jasper County Commission and the county’s courthouse preservation committee selected the design, which Wiseman developed and built.

Money for the exhibit comes from a federal highway grant, administered by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

County commissioners sought money for the project to help promote Carthage and the historic courthouse as a tourist destination.

Many visitors come to Carthage because of its history and link to Route 66, said Wendi Douglas, executive director of the Carthage Convention and Visitors Bureau...

... The exhibit will include full-size artifacts, including a gasoline pump and air pump. There also will be a flat-screen television that will show slides of Route 66 history
Read entire article at KansasCity.com