Friday, November 01, 2024
We didn't call Route 66 a "two lane" back in the 50's. All we knew were two-lane roads and highways. I made the drive to California from southeast Kansas and back on Route 66 several times ("Just head West"). It was 1600 miles, and I always drove straight through. even once when I had been up all night from a drinking bout. The first was in the summer of 1958 when I was 14. I had a restricted driver license that did not cover such a trip. My grandfather was my passenger. He wanted to visit family on the Mojave Desert near Death Valley and others in San Bernardino. It was an amazing and exciting venture, the various roadside attractions and incredible sights. It was like a movie full of adventure and wonder.
One such restaurant was located on the periphery of Fort Scott, Kansas, back in 1962. I remember schoolmate Neal Qualls holding a parttime job there while attending the local Juco. another 'mate and JC student, Harold Shallenburger, had a job pumping gas at a small service station. I thought of the Red Barn as a steak house and unaffordable. Their motto was "When the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn."
Six of us bunked and lived together on the upstairs of a large house. Five were from Galena and one was from Baxter Springs, Larry Prauser. The Galenites in addition to Harold and Neal, were me, J.P. Martin, and Dennis Frazier. A regular sit-down meal for us, prepared by house cook Frazier, consisted of fried Spam and potatoes liberally ladled with ketchup.
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