In Arlington, Mo., we came across an abandoned group of buildings that we later discovered was once the area’s finest resort.īuilt in the 1930s, Stony Dell Resort was once a popular spot for locals and celebrities, including Mae West.Īccording to, “Stony Dell was located a short drive from nearby Ft.
I was interested in ghost towns, and there are many along the route that were abandoned when the highway was rerouted. We thought we’d make it farther but there was so much to see that we couldn’t drive many miles each day. Take only photos and no other souvenirs from this location, so others can also enjoy its charm.On our honeymoon in October 2016, Sweetums and I drove along Route 66, mostly through Missouri. Please note: this is private property, so only view the property from a distance and do not enter the private land.
Missouri was the third of the eight Route 66 states to be fully paved. The work crew for this section, which was located in Phelps County near Arlington, tossed coins into the wet cement to celebrate the completion. Some of the old, classic stonework still exists.Īccording to the National Parks Service, of the portions of Route 66 that were located in Missouri, "The last mile of original Route 66 paving was completed on January 5, 1931. It is still considered an iconic part of Old Route 66. Once the town of Arlington was bypassed by the highway, it became a ghost town. Church groups often used the resort for retreats.īy 1946, Arlington was beginning to shrink, becoming very quiet, since much of Route 66 had been re-routed to make travel faster, and in 1967, most of the resort was razed in anticipation of the construction of the four-lane highway that replaced Route 66. The resort was so popular, the Highway Patrol was on hand to direct traffic on some days. One swimming pool was fed by an Artesion well and the water was quite cold. In 1939 ten cabins were available for rent ($1-$2 per night). Customers could pick out a fish to be prepared for their meal. A bit of interesting history of the old restaurant is that there were tanks of live fish inside the restaurant, fed by spring water, to keep the fish alive. Leonard Wood military base and was a popular hangout for the troops on weekends.Īctivities at Stony Dell included a large swimming pool, tennis, dancing, boating, fishing, a restaurant, service station, bus stop, and a Justice of the Peace. Stony Dell was located a short drive from nearby Ft. The movie star Mae West visited the resort on at least one occasion. Stony Dell Resort, was one of the busiest destination resorts in Missouri at the time. The town Arlington existed before automobile travel became widespread, but much of the town was built in the 1930-1940’s, during the heyday of travel on the old historic Route 66, since Arlington was conveniently located right on that famous highway, and travelers were eager to experience the Missouri countryside.
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