[23], Notable buildings include the art deco–styled U-Drop Inn, constructed in 1936 in Shamrock, in Wheeler County east of Amarillo, Texas, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rating Required. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s saw many farming families, mainly from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas, heading west for agricultural jobs in California. By the late 1960s, most of the rural sections of US 66 had been replaced by I-40 across New Mexico with the most notable exception being the 40-mile (64 km) strip from the Texas border at Glenrio west through San Jon to Tucumcari, which was becoming increasingly treacherous due to heavier and heavier traffic on the narrow two-lane highway. This enormous capital outlay underwrote entirely new industries that created thousands of civilian jobs. The town was there when the first traders traveled the Santa Fe Trail the first time. The section remained as US 66 until 1953 and is still open to traffic today as the Oatman Highway. [15], Championed by Avery when the first talks about a national highway system began, US 66 was first signed into law in 1927 as one of the original U.S. According to one government source, the production of new cars dropped from 3.7 million in 1941 to 610 in 1943, because of rationing. Within many cities, the route became a "business loop" for the interstate. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona have been communally designated a National Scenic Byway by the name "Historic Route 66", returning the name to some maps. The beginning of the decline for US 66 came in 1956 with the signing of the Interstate Highway Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower who was influenced by his experiences in 1919 as a young Army officer crossing the country in a truck convoy (following the route of the Lincoln Highway), and his appreciation of the autobahn network as a necessary component of a national defense system.[31]. However, road signs did not go up until the following year. "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. [16][self-published source?] Along the way you will be able to visit Las Vegas, NM, which if you ever heard of the "Wild West", it all happened there. State engineers worked to reduce the number of curves, widen lanes, and ensure all-weather capability. Gold Map of Complete Route 66 Until the height of the Great Depression, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and the desert communities of southeast California had a collective total of only 64.1 miles of surfaced highway along Route 66. Right after US 66 was commissioned, it was known as "The Great Diagonal Way" because the Chicago-to-Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest. Between the years 1926 and 1985, Route 66 had become a symbol of a railway through human civilization. This diagonal configuration was particularly significant to the trucking industry, which by 1930 rivaled the railroad for preeminence in the American shipping industry. Despite such hazards in some areas, US 66 continued to be a popular route. Much of the highway was essentially flat and this made the highway a popular truck route. The more assertive and financially prepared States met the challenge. With the decommissioning of US 66, no single interstate route was designated to replace it. The fictional Radiator Springs is based on multiple real places visited on the five-state research trip through Peach Springs, Arizona, Baxter Springs, Kansas, and countless small towns along the way. [48] A memorial museum to the Route's namesake, Will Rogers, is located in Claremore, while his birthplace ranch is maintained in Oologah. Again, a shorter route was taken, here following the Postal Highway between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. ROUTE 66 is an authentic American lifestyle brand with timeless appeal. A 250 or 500-piece, artist signed jigsaw puzzle from the Artist Signature Series, titled Route 66: 1926 Model T - 327CI. Parts of the road still carry traffic and six separate portions of the roadbed have been listed on the National Register of In New Mexico, as in most other states, rural sections of I-40 were to be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later. Most of the newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded to freeway status in later years. [66], US 66 covered 380 miles (610 km) in the state and passed through many Indian reservations in the western half of New Mexico. Some stretches are quite well preserved, including one between Springfield, Missouri, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Williams Historic Business District and Urban Route 66, Williams were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and 1989, respectively. "Historic Route 66" runs for a significant distance in and near Flagstaff, Arizona. The US Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the loss of their businesses. Although Missouri was its birthplace, Oklahoma is probably the most famed location on the route. Important Shipping Info. [56], On Tulsa's Southwest Boulevard, between W. 23rd and W. 24th Streets there is a granite marker dedicated to Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway which features an image of namesake Will Rogers together with information on the route from Michael Wallis, author of Route 66: The Mother Road;[57] and, at Howard Park just past W. 25th Street, three Indiana limestone pillars are dedicated to Route 66 through Tulsa, with Route 66 #1 devoted to Transportation, Route 66 #2 devoted to Tulsa Industry and Native American Heritage, and Route 66 #3 devoted to Art Deco Architecture and American Culture. Also on display is a "Hamons Court" neon sign that hung at a gas station and tourist cabins near Hydro, Oklahoma, a "CABINS" neon sign that pointed to Ring's Rest tourist cabins in Muirkirk, Maryland, as well as several post cards a traveler sent back to his future wife while touring the route. [49] In Sapulpa, the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum features a 66-foot-high (20 m) replica gas pump, the world's tallest. [33][34] Other groups in the other US 66 states soon followed. [4] The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). During this time, U.S. Highway 66 and other major roads in America had integral links to President Roosevelt's revolutionary New Deal programs for work relief and economic recovery. US 66 covered 178 miles (286 km) in the Texas Panhandle, travelling in an east–west line between Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas and Texola, Oklahoma. American pop-culture artists publicized US 66 and the experience, through song and television. [55] Also, Tulsa has installed "Route 66 Rising," a 70-by-30-foot (21.3 by 9.1 m) sculpture on the road's former eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road. Mostly, U.S. 66 was just an assignment of a number to an already existing network of State-managed roads, most of which were in poor condition. Visit the Route 66 Preservation Program website to learn more about this historic roadway. Alternate and now SR 1, in Santa Monica, California. A controversy erupted over the number 60, largely from delegates from Kentucky who wanted a Virginia Beach–Los Angeles highway to be US 60 and US 62 between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri. Like other highways in the system, the path of Route 66 was a cobbling together of existing local, State, and national road networks. The paved road becomes a dirt road, south of Cajon, which was also the original Route 66. In 1928, the association made its first attempt at publicity, the "Bunion Derby," a footrace from Los Angeles to New York City, of which the path from Los Angeles to Chicago would be on US 66. [citation needed] US 66 continued to be signed east of Pasadena until 1974, when it was removed, and the remaining separate section became SR 66.In … Route 66 received official designation in 1926, after the government enacted a plan for national highways. Officially, the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route received the numerical designation of Route 66 in the summer of 1926. Recognized as the "Birthplace of US Route 66", in 1926 officials of Springfield first proposed the name of the Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway. Under the provisions of the West Coast Manpower Plan initiated in September 1943, contractors prepared to offer jobs to 500,000 men and women to meet the production demands of global war. While officially Route 66 no longer exists, the majority of it remains to be driven and enjoyed. In addition to its abbreviated route between Chicago and the Pacific coast, Route 66 traversed essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate than that of northern highways, further enhancing its appeal to truckers. Today, it is marked by I-40 west of Oklahoma City, and SH-66 east of there. [44] The group's redesignation proposal does not enjoy universal support, as requirements the route to meet modern US Highway system specifications could force upgrades that compromise its historic integrity or require US 66 signage be moved to Interstate highways for some portions of the route. [79] The movie's success generated a resurgence of public interest in US 66. Trains stopped arriving in 1910, and Route 66 began passing through it in 1926, bringing business from travelers on the road. The U.S. Highway 66 Association also placed its first advertisement in the July 16, 1932, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. At the outset of American involvement in World War II, the War Department singled out the West as ideal for military training bases, in part because of its geographic isolation and especially because it offered consistently dry weather for air and field maneuvers. As the Depression worked its baleful effects on the nation, it also produced an ironic consequence along Route 66; the vast migration of destitute people fleeing from the privation of their former homes actually produced an increased volume of business along the highway, thus providing commercial opportunities for a multitude of low-capital, mom-and-pop businesses. Or click on the image for the large version. Located on the corner of San Francisco St. & Aspen St., it is walking distance to Flagstaff’s best restaurants and the dichotomy of new-age shops and outdoor sports stores nearby. [23] In many communities, local groups have painted or stenciled the "66" and U.S. Route shield or outline directly onto the road surface, along with the state's name. The department invested over $230 million in new military bases in Arizona alone. The highway covered 376 miles (605 km)[70] in Oklahoma. Several county roads and city streets at various places along the old route have also retained the "66" number. Between 1941 and 1945, the government invested approximately $70 billion in capital projects throughout California, many in the Los Angeles-San Diego area. The original alignment followed the current Illinois Route 4 (IL 4).[28]. People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway, and those same people later fought to keep the highway alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System. The rest would have to move in private automobiles. History. Several businesses were well known to be on US 66, and fear of losing the number resulted in the state of Missouri officially requesting the designation "Interstate 66" for the St. Louis to Oklahoma City section of the route, but it was denied. The first "Historic Route 66" marker in Missouri was erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri (now replaced—the original sign has been placed at Route 66 State Park near Eureka). When Richard Feynman was working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, he used to travel nearly 100 miles (160 km) to visit his wife, who was dying of tuberculosis, in a sanatorium located on US 66 in Albuquerque. [52] In 2020, Avery Plaza Southwest opened, at the west end of the bridge, which features a “neon park” with replicas of the neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels of the era, including the Tulsa Auto Court, the Oil Capital Motel, and the famous bucking-bronco sign of the Will Rogers Motor Court. In Missouri, Routes 366, 266, and 66 are all original sections of the highway. The city of Glendora, California, renamed Alosta Avenue, its section of US 66, by calling it "Route 66". [17] The final conclusion was to have US 60 run between Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Springfield, Missouri, and the Chicago–L.A. The Grapes of Wrath (novel) and The Grapes of Wrath (film) each depict the Joad family, who has been evicted from their small farm in Oklahoma and travels to California on US 66. US 66 has been a fixture in popular culture. This runs from Seligman to Kingman, Arizona, via Peach Springs. Near there, it passed by Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In some cases, such as to the east of St. Louis, this was done as soon as the Interstate was finished to the next exit. In 1937, a straight-line route was completed from west of Santa Rosa through Moriarty and east–west through Albuquerque and west to Laguna. Route 66 was one of the United State's first continuous stretches of paved highway, and served as a major path for those who migrated west. US 66 served as a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and the road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. In 1964, Tucumcari and San Jon became the first cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for highway travelers to their localities. New towns have been born because of Route 66. [59] Elsewhere, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos, and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers. The Turner Turnpike was joined in 1957 by the new Will Rogers Turnpike, which connected Tulsa with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of Joplin, Missouri, again paralleling US 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in addition to its entire stretch through Kansas. [73], US 66 covered 301 miles (484 km) in Illinois. Washington's increased level of commitment began with the Great Depression and the national appeal for emergency Federal relief measures. The Lone Star Route passed through St. Louis on its way from Chicago to Cameron, Louisiana, though US 66 would take a shorter route through Bloomington rather than Peoria. California's total demographic growth between 1930 and 1940 reflected scarcely more than a 22% increase, compared to a 53% growth rate in the following decade. A plaque dedicating the highway to Will Rogers is still located in Santa Monica, California. I-40 was completed from Glenrio to the east side of San Jon in 1976 and extended west to Tucumcari in 1981, including the bypasses around both cities. From there, it passed through Carthage, Springfield, where Red's Giant Hamburg, the world's first drive-thru stands, Waynesville, Devils Elbow, Lebanon and Rolla before passing through St. [60], Over the years, US 66 received numerous nicknames. Route 66 USA road trips have become a part of the collective consciousness from the famous album by Bob Dylan of the same name. The ad invited Americans to take US 66 to the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. [23], Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Highly recommend the historic & “haunted” (1926) Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff; stayed there now 7 times; always very clean and has spacious rooms. Steinbeck's classic 1939 novel and the 1940 film re-creation of the epic odyssey immortalized Route 66 in the American consciousness. Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.[23]. [10], Before a nationwide network of numbered highways was adopted by the states, what were named auto trails were marked by private organizations. Jan 30, 2020 - Explore Nastasi's board "Movie" on Pinterest. Along much of the way, US 66 paralleled I-40. Road improvements and maintenance work were central features of the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Project Administration (WPA) programs. [39], Many preservation groups have tried to save and even landmark the old motels and neon signs along the road in some states. The displacement of US 66 signage to the new freeways, combined with restrictions in the 1965 Highway Beautification Act that often denied merchants on the old road access to signage on the freeway, became factors in the closure of many established US 66 businesses as travelers could no longer easily find or reach them.[30]. The Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and US 66 in New Mexico have been made into National Scenic Byways. Formative Years: 1926-1932 From the outset, public road planners intended US 66 to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its course for the most practical of reasons: most small towns had no prior access to a major national thoroughfare. Name Email Required. The transcontinental National Old Trails Road led via St. Louis to Los Angeles, but was not followed until New Mexico; instead, US 66 used one of the main routes of the Ozark Trails system,[11] which ended at the National Old Trails Road just south of Las Vegas, New Mexico. However, some business and civic leaders in cities along US 66 were completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax revenues. US 66 became the main road of travel for these people, often derogatorily called "Okies" or "Arkies". Historic Route 66. Home to the Missouri State University, Drury University and Evangel University, it is … Dubbed the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, … Contrasted with the Lincoln, the Dixie, and other highways of its day, route 66 did not follow a traditionally linear course. In 1927, in Tulsa, the association was officially established with John T. Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri, elected the first president. From downtown St. Louis to Gray Summit, Missouri, US 66 originally went down Market Street and Manchester Road, which is largely Route 100. [67] East of those reservations, the highway passed through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. The two sweeping curves on the southeast and southwest of the cities originally were intended to easily handle traffic at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), as part of an effort to make Illinois 66 an Autobahn equivalent for military transport. At La Posada, Route 66 meets the Santa Fe railroad, which in many … The highway ran through major cities such as Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino. San Bernardino also contains one of the two surviving Wigwam Motels along US 66. Twenty-five percent of these were large tractor-truck, semi-trailer outfits. [18] Avery and highway engineer John Page settled on "66," which was unassigned, despite the fact that in its entirety, US 66 was north of US 60. Many of the merchants in the small and large towns through which the highway passed looked to the road as an economic opportunity to bring much needed outside revenues into their often rural and isolated communities.