By Victor Block
In 1926, U.S. Route 66 was established as one of the original roads in the United States numbered highway system. It ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, traversing 2,448 miles. Much of the street was graded dirt or gravel.
During the decadelong Great Depression that began in 1929, traffic along the thoroughfare helped to support restaurants, motels and other mom-and-pop businesses that catered to passing motorists. By 1938, it became the first highway in the country to be completely paved.
Adding to the fame of this historic roadway was its starring role in the popular 1960s television series named for it. "Route 66" followed two young men who were traveling in a classic Chevrolet Corvette. Complementing that publicity was a chapter in John Steinbeck's 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Grapes of Wrath" about Dust Bowl migrants traveling on the highway, which he nicknamed "The Mother Road."
People following the path of Route 66 today find themselves immersed in tangible memories of its past. More than 250 buildings, bridges and other sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each state along the way has its claims to fame.
The Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is located at the end of the 11th Street Bridge, over which the route passed. A massive sculpture there, which is named "East Meets West," depicts members of a family traveling in a Model T Ford meeting a horsedrawn carriage heading in the opposite direction.
In New Mexico, about 265 miles of historic Route 66 are drivable. The highway enters the state across a vast prairie, then meanders through rocky outcroppings and past adobe villages with churches that predate the road by about a century.
One of the few drivable stretches of the original road runs through Amarillo, Texas. About an hour drive farther on, the aptly named Midpoint Cafe, which is two years younger than the highway, greets visitors with its slogan: "When you're here, you're halfway there."
Another Amarillo landmark along Route 66 is Cadillac Ranch, a group of 10 Cadillacs buried front-first in the ground. The cars, tilted at an angle, are covered with multicolored graffiti that has been applied over the years.
In Springfield, Illinois, portions of the road near Carpenter Park and Lake Springfield as well as a 1.25-mile stretch of brick nearby are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Motorists can check out the Cozy Dog Drive In, Route 66 Drive-In Theater, Mahan's Filling Station and the Sonrise Donuts sign at Route 66 Motorheads and Ace Sign Co. Museum.
The Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store in Kansas opened in 1925 along what, a year later, would become — you guessed it — Route 66. Along with groceries and produce, it offers a display of Route 66 memorabilia.
Communities across Oklahoma are marking the milestone birthday by installing Centennial Monuments along the historic highway. These 16-foot-tall structures feature a glowing, double-sided Route 66 shield, the two-letter abbreviation for the state and the centennial years: 1926-2026. A display box on the pole identifies the specific location — whether a city, town or attraction — and includes a QR code linking to local stories, history and visitor information.
Other mementoes of The Mother Road await discovery at museums around the country. Collections focused on the route are housed in Clinton, Sapulpa and Elk City, Oklahoma. The Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, Illinois, is the repository of thousands of relics from the glory days of the byway.
The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., has an impressive collection of artifacts and photographs related to the highway. They include a restored car and truck similar to those that were on the thoroughfare in the 1930s, neon signs that were displayed at roadside businesses and a portion of pavement rescued from Bridgeport, Oklahoma.
A pavement sample and scenic sculptures, neon signs along with sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places serve as reminders of The Mother Road. Its one-century birthday is a perfect time to celebrate what in its time was an engineering marvel. It continues to hold an important place in the annals of the development and growth of the United States.
WHEN YOU GO
nps.gov
travelok.com
newmexico.org
traveltexas.com
enjoyillinois.com
eislerbros.com
travelok.com/route_66
americanhistory.si.edu
Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Cadillac Ranch along Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, is a familiar landmark on the historic highway. Photo courtesy of Sandra Foyt.
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