June 2, 1997

Red Chaney, the Springfield entrepreneur who invented the drive-through window, dies. For 38 years he operated Red’s Giant Hamburg on Route 66. The restaurant he added in 1947 near Chestnut Expressway and College Street included a window where the wait staff could pass food to hungry drivers. It was a hit with travelers and is now a staple of fast-food restaurants around the world.

Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.

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