Author Joe Sonderman to speak on Route 66 at The Centre

Author Joe Sonderman will be the first of many notable speakers who will be featured during The Way We Worked, the newest Smithsonian Institution exhibit that will be on display at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street) from Nov. 19 through Dec. 17, 2011.

Sonderman, who has written seven books on Route 66, including “Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks,” will give a presentation on the history of Route 66 on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. at The Centre. The event is free and open to the public. 

(Pictured above: Clyde Mathis stops for fuel at the Wagon Wheel Motel service station on Route 66, Cuba, 1961. Photo courtesy of Riva Echols)

A St. Louis on-air personality and traffic reporter for 25 years, Sonderman is currently working with the Missouri Department of Transportation at the Traffic Management Center in Chesterfield, Mo. His latest book is a picture postcard history of Route 66 called “Route 66: Postcards from the Mother Road. Sonderman maintains an on-line archive of over 5,000 vintage Route 66 photos and postcards at www.66postcards.com.   

The Way We Worked exhibit shares the stories of how work became a central element in American culture and the many changes affecting the workforce and work environments over the past 100 years. In addition to the Smithsonian Exhibit, a local exhibit featuring historic and present day photos from the Phelps, Crawford, Dent, Maries and Pulaski county area will be on display to show different livelihoods of our region. The exhibit will highlight work in the following areas: agriculture, timber, railroads, mining, government, tourism, medicine, education, and trade and commerce. These photographs, many from private collections, were generously shared to show our rich history and tell the story of the people who have made this region what it is today.

For more details about The Way We Worked exhibit, special events listings, exhibit hours, speakers and programs, please visit the City of Rolla Website at www.rollacity.org and click on The Way We Worked tab. You may also contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 573-341-2386 or Loretta Wallis, Corporate Relations Manager, Brewer  Science, at 573-364-0444, ext. 1357. For more information on volunteering, please contact Arts Rolla at 573-364-5539 or e-mail Linda Giger at lgiger@fidnet.com.