Ballston Town Historian to Commemorate Centennial Anniversary of Route 66

Three years ago, Ballston Town Historian Rick Reynolds, his wife, and an accompanying couple embarked on a road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica via Route 66. 

This year on Nov. 11, the 100th anniversary of Route 66, Reynolds will be returning, this time visiting a gas station in Missouri with ties to Ballston Spa. 

“We considered it to be one of the most fun trips we’ve ever done in our lives,” Reynolds reflected. 

Following the trip in 2023, Reynolds knew he wanted to return in time for the century celebration. One night, a local news station was honoring a local veteran whose last name is Sharidan. So, as a town historian does, Reynolds did some research on the man. 

“I found out that his family, including him, had purchased a gas station in Waynesville, Missouri along Route 66 in 2021,” said Reynolds. “So, I said, ‘I’m going to make contact with these guys and try to plan to be at that gas station on the 100th anniversary.’”

That’s exactly what will happen next week. 

Reynolds plans to make a documentary film during his trip, interviewing as many people as possible along the way. He is also staying in three vintage motels along the trip, from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. 

Reynolds spent his career as a history teacher at Burnt Hills and has been the Ballston Town Historian for over two decades.

In 2023, following his first voyage across Route 66, Reynold and his wife packed around 100 people into Brookside Museum for a presentation about their trip.

He hopes to again present his trip at Brookside along with a release of his documentary film on his YouTube channel, The Ballston Historian’s Perspective sometime in 2027.