Revisiting the Route 66 and Highway 19 intersection…now and then…

In 2011, Viva Cuba’s blog will continue a new look at some of our earlier blogs …The blogs might feature some new photos or info that wasn’t with the original blog, and then lead  to the original post. We have new readers since the blog started in April of 2009, so we thought re-visiting might be in order for some of our more noteworthy blogs. This first new look starts with a photo that features Blues hockey star Noel Picard.

Joe Sonderman, author of Route 66 in Missouri, shared his autographed copy of Noel Picard and Midway with us.

This post features an April 14 blog on the Hwy. 19  and Route 66 intersection in Cuba, Missouri. Many Cubans grew up celebrating special occasions at the Midway building or hanging out there after school.

Many of Cuba's young men got their first jobs at the station on the corner of Route 66 and Hwy.19.

Often young people in Cuba got their first jobs working at Midway or at the Paul T. Carr station across the intersection. Today, local young people might find employment at Wallis Oil Companies modern headquarters that stands at the intersection.

Many remember the Weisel family‘s florist and nursery on the lot where Viva Cuba’s Garden is today. It was often a stop for an attractive potted plant or flower arrangement. Today Viva Cuba continues the legacy of keeping the corner attractive.

After the Weisel family moved from the area, the corner later deteriorated until the Viva Cuba organization purchased the corner and, with the support of Cuba's citizens, landscaped the area and later added public art.

The intersection was referred to locally as the 4-way because there were stops signs in all four directions. Later, a stoplight was installed. Viva Cuba thought that the historical intersection would be a good place to paint a large Route 66 Mural City shield, but MoDOT didn’t agree with the proposal.

Today, while three corners of the intersection are attractive, the old Midway building’s fate is still in question.  Please look back at Historic Route 66 intersection still an important presence in Cuba, Missouri for more now and then views of this Route 66 location. The next time that you drive through the intersection, think of all those who went before you through the years.

Although many Cubans have found memories of the Midway, its future is uncertain.