About Us

Understand the purpose guiding this cultural restoration movement.

Preserving Route 66 Heritage Through Community Action

From the inception, the mission of The Black Bell Project was to place a small black bell at each historically significant location on the route as a marker for places to visit that have been on the route during the time when it was in commission. The hope was to provide situational awareness to the local community, who may not be aware of the provenance of these sites, and invite travelers to experience “California’s Gold” and step back in time and cherish the rich tapestry of California Route 66 and its history.

Vintage Texaco gas station with classic red pumps and signage.

Origins of the Project

This project all began with Gil Caughman, a classic car enthusiast living near Foothill Blvd. (a 60-mile stretch of the historic Route 66) who became concerned about the future of Route 66 in this local area. Through his interest and involvement with classic cars, Gil has developed a deep appreciation for Route 66 and the historical role it played in American lives.

The route still has a rich tapestry of sites, stays, and businesses that embodies the life of folks who traveled the Mother Road throughout the many years of its existence as they made their way west. But over a period of time there has been a gradual decline of these historic sites and businesses. Gil felt compelled to try to help preserve the route.

A sunny suburban street with trees and a driveway.

Challenges Facing Route 66

Folks all over the country have been taking note of the decline of Route 66 since it was decommissioned and often refer to what Route 66 used to be. This has happened in California as well. This could be due to a few factors. One factor is said to be the expansion of interstate highways. Many of the interstate travelers have diverted to the more efficient freeways, leaving the route to local travel.

Changing Business Landscape

Another factor seems to be the evolving business model, with big chains taking over much of American retail through having lower operational costs than mom and pop businesses, which have been realized through economies of scale. Big businesses are able to offer services at a lower cost through shared cost of advertising, large volume purchasing, and better distribution, allowing them to place these businesses off the route and closer to expanding neighborhoods. This makes it hard for mom-and-pop businesses to compete, causing them to struggle, fail, or fall into disrepair. As a result, much of the character and fabric that once made up the culture has all but disappeared.

When asking younger people what they thought about the route, they often hadn't even heard of Route 66. If they had heard of it, they don’t know the history or don’t appear to understand its significance to American culture. They may not even realize they might be standing on it or in front of it. Despite this fact, thousands of travelers from around the country and around the world are seeking to experience California Route 66 firsthand. Much of it is still here, and you can still experience it if you know where to go, but the legacy is fading away.

Outdoor thermometer hanging under a roof near a gate and wooden chairs.

Gil’s Vision and Approach

Determined to make a difference, Gil wanted to see what he could do as an average citizen to help promote the legacy of California Route 66. Gil came up with the notion of tagging historically significant sites and businesses that are still in operation or have not changed since their heyday while Route 66 was still in commission.

These chosen establishments are places that have the same ambience, character and are providing the same services as they have been for many years, dating way back to the early days while on the route. The intention is not to just tag any place on the route that would like to have a bell on their place. These bells cannot be purchased and are intended for the sole purpose of identifying these unique places and to bring greater situational awareness to those who want to experience the past in the present but don’t know where to go.

These are folks who may be younger or who are new to the area, or it may be just people who want to experience the real Route 66. They want to experience places that locals have been going to for years. Gil believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things by just participating or doing little things. These little things can add up to bigger things. Who knows? No one will ever know unless they try.

A garage workspace with a Route 66 themed trash can and various tools.

Collaboration and Bell Design

Gil brainstormed this with his friend Dan Moon of Man Cave Collectables (“The Station” in Fontana, California) on the art of the possible of what can be done to help out the local sites and businesses and to help preserve the route. Dan, an expert in designing and building unique nostalgic items, agreed to help. Many ideas were explored, but the one that stuck was the idea of taking a pre-existing steel wind chime, or technically a wind bell, and specially designing the shell for this purpose. They costed the bells, ensuring they could be produced at a fair but nominal price.

Unique Bells For Historic Sites

Dan offered his expertise under special circumstances and pricing, and Gil commissioned him to develop the overall bell design and color schemes. The bells are black with white lettering, mirroring the original shield signs used in the early days of the route. Identical bell housings are placed at historically significant sites, with a few exceptions: the Santa Monica Pier, where the bell is painted red, white, and blue to denote the end of the route and to represent American culture; the Tail o the Pup; and the Highland Park Bowl.

Vintage Volkswagen Beetles parked outside a Texaco gas station.

Community-Driven Preservation

This initiative is being totally funded by Gil with no ulterior motives or sales intentions beyond preserving Route 66. This effort is not being sponsored by any organization and relies on the participation of qualified site owners who wish to join this endeavor. The bells are given to site owners at no cost to them, and once received and placed on the building, they become their property. By placing a bell on their building, it also signifies their care and admiration for Route 66 and demonstrates a collective effort to keep its legacy alive.

This is a community event and requires full participation from site owners to succeed. When you see a bell on a business, you know that business has chosen to sponsor it and signifies their commitment to preserving the history and spirit of Route 66. Each bell serves as a reminder of the uniqueness of its location and offers younger generations the chance to learn about and appreciate Route 66 in the hope that they never forget the road that brought us here. Its success also depends on the local community to frequent the sites and take interest, and travelers who seek this California adventure.

Experiencing the Real California Adventure

Disney’s California Adventure took subjects of Route 66 from all over the country to make its theme park and to produce the Cars movie. But all of those representations and more can still be experienced for real in California on Route 66 if you know where to go. This project will help guide the way and locations to experience the real California Adventure.