part of the 1926 alignment of Route 66 in New Mexico. Full Title: Rand McNally junior auto road map Arizona, New Mexico. Contrasted with the Lincoln, the Dixie, and other highways of its day, route 66 did not follow a traditionally linear course. It even modified urban landscapes: blacksmith shops were replaced by garages and gas stations. The Dry Creek - Whiting Brothers Gas Station in Newberry Springs. But his "revenge" would have to wait for 10 more years until the Federal roadbuilders decided to straighten the road and shorten it. For 9 years (1926 - 1937) U.S. 66 followed a northern course through Santa Fe in New Mexico until a spiteful politician changed its course. Others placed signs reading "Old U.S. 66". Mass federal sponsorship for an interstate system of divided highways markedly increased with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second term in the ‘White House. Here we tell its story and give you its historic context. The National Old Trails Movement (N.O.T.) By 1929, the Illinois and Kansas segments of the highway were fully paved, while Missouri had paved 66% of the road. It was John Steinbeck, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Literature, that coined the name "Mother Road". The "Mother Road" was born from the need of a nation to move about, for trade, work and leisure. Until 1933, this was done by the individual states. It was a hit, evoking local stores lined up along the road, which in fact was the A southern link was completed in 1883 (New Orleans to Los Angeles). Above: Art's Motel & Restaurant in Farmersville, Illinois. From prehistoric trails to Beale’s Wagon Road, the railroad, the National Old Trails Road, and Route 66, the 35 th parallel through Arizona has been a favored route for its mild climate and relatively level terrain. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight. One of the reasons why it was established was to divert some traffic from the bustling cities of Denver and Kansas City. He reached the Pacific Coast in California and later he linked New Mexico with Fort Smith in Arkansas. The "End of the Trail" sign on Santa Monica Pier, This is sign was erected during the Pier's centennial year, on Veterans Day, 2009. The years of thrift and suffering were gone, people celebrated life and traveled, they took to the roads in their cars to explore America. and Santa Monica Blvd. 6) built linking Santa Rosa with It is a extremely narrow highway only nine-feet wide and is known as the "Sidewalk Road" or the Ribbon Road. . Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Fort Wingate Ordnance Depot in New Mexico, the Ammo factory in Elwood IL, Navajo Ordnance Depot in Arizona and Edwards Air Force Base in California, were built near Route 66. The National highway network aimed at being modern and safe: the sharp 90° of the original alignment (which mostly followed surveyor's section lines) were eliminated, lanes were widened and road surface improved. Foi estabelecida em 11 de novembro de 1926. The original 1926 to 1937 Santa Fe Loop of Route 66 from Albuquerque to Romeroville was aligned along The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was established in 1914 to define highway standards and plan a "numbered" national highway system. This massive shift in demographics was a boon for business along Route 66. The feds proposed Route 62 as an alternative, but So add it to your bucket list. As traffic increased the road and the travel infrastructure improved. The Native American Mojave Trail was also used by the Spanish in California (1776), and later followed in part by the However, the US Highway system changed. Nevertheless the U.S. Highway 66 Association campaigned from 1935 to 1950 to have the highway renamed as the Will Rogers Jr. Highway and to move its terminus to Palisades on Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd. The Mother road ended here and never reached Santa Monica Pier or Ocean Ave. ca. 10, The People's Highway, Cyrus Avery: "The most direct road to the Pacific coast". The idea was concevied by the Route 66 Alliance, the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau, the non-profit Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. and 66 to Cali Inc. (a Route 66 souvenir company). The Western Terminus of Route 66 from 1936 to 1964 was located on the intersection of Lincoln Blvd. Moriarty and shaving off more than 90 miles off the road. When they did so in 1937 they used Hannett's alignment. The first legislation was passed in 1916, the "Federal Aid Road Act", which was the beginning of federal government assistance for state highway costs. and continued up to Olympic Blvd. From such humble origins it became an icon of America and an international symbol of Americana. all the way to Santa Monica. Metadata: Author and Publisher: Rand McNally and Company, Chicago. But it did not end on Ocean Ave (which in those days was U.S. Highway 101 Alt), instead it took a left along Lincoln Blvd. Again, for many, Route 66 facilitated their relocation. Here we outline the rich Histroy of Route 66 and its roots in ancient Indian trails (traces) and colonial tracks. Pioneers pushed the frontiers of America westwards, they used the trapper trails, crossed the Mississippi River and cut trails across the Ozarks into central Over 100 million acres (400,000 km2 were affected by erosion and drought. Thousands of soldiers, sailors, and airmen who received military training in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas abandoned the harsh winters of Chicago, New York City, and Boston for the “barbecue culture” of the Southwest and the West. Below is the true story on the western tip of Route 66: Lincoln Blvd. Route 66 had to be preserved. 1920. In 1924 the AASHO requested that the Federal government and the states designate the highways of the national network. > > Learn about all the Historic Sites on Route 66, The 1926 alignment: Brick Paved Route 66 in Illinois. 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. sixty six instead of sixty we are inclined to agree to this change. The congressional response to the president’s commitment was the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which provided a comprehensive financial umbrella to uderwrite the cost of the national interstate and defense highway system. Among the most outstanding examples of the evolution of gas stations along Route 66 are Soulsby’s Shell station in Mount Olive, Illinois; Bob Audettes’ gas station complex in Barton, New Mexico; and the Tower Fina Station in Shamrock, Texas. And many drove to their new homes along US 66. It began with the first people to reach the New World some 15,000 years ago. Route 66 was anointed on November 11, 1926, but it would take until 1938 before the entire route was paved with concrete. St.; nowadays there is a marker there). The outcome was Public Law 106-45 which created the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, which finances and gives assistance to upkeep designated historic resources along the Mother Road. follow their alignment. Between the years 1926 and 1985, Route 66 had become a symbol of a railway through human civilization. In the early years of Route 66, service station prototypes were developed regionally through experimentation, and then were adopted universally across the country. Places to stay overnight, gasoline stations, garages and workshops, diners and restaurants sprung up along the highway. The appearance of U.S. Highway 66 on the American scene coincided with unparalleled economic strife and global instability, yet it hastened the most comprehensive westward movement and economic growth in United States history. Route 66 helped to facilitate the single greatest wartime manpower mobilization in the history of the nation. While legislation for public highways first appeared in 1916, with revisions in 1921, it was not until Congress enacted an even more comprehensive version of the act in 1925 that the government executed its plan for national highway construction. The history of Route 66 began long before there were cars, or even horses and carts in America. Banner image: Hackberry General Store, Hackberry, Arizona by Perla Eichenblat. Tens of thousands of families had to abandon their farms as they defaulted their mortgages. where, at their intersection, it ended. Short History Review Hey, Route 66 is a long stretch of highway, meaning you can’t drive it all without making a few stops. A severe economic depression started with the collapse of the Stock Market in October 1929 and spread around the world. Ironically, the public lobby for rapid mobility and improved highways that gained Route 66 its enormous popularity in earlier decades also signaled its demise beginning in the mid-1950’s. On the current map of America, you cannot find Route 66, as the road is the only national highway to be decommissioned from the original 1926 grid. Cowboys and real Indians. A severe drought in the 1930s coupled with wind erosion due to poor farming techniques led to vast dust storms in the prairies of the U.S. and Canada. Route 66: its history. Route 66 history includes Victorville sites connected to ‘Citizen Kane’ Grocery Outlet opens in Chino Hills; Jimenez Mexican Foods moving to Perris from Riverside Below is a 1926 Map of Route 66 from St. James to St. Louis, Missouri, notice that this first map calls it "US 60", instead of US 66 (click map to see original pdf). Excessive truck use during World War II and the comeback of the automobile industry immediately following the war brought great pressure to bear on America’s highways. Auto123 takes a look at the history of the fabled Route 66, central not just in the geography of the USA but also to our conception of the country. Construção da route 66 terminou em 11 de novembro de 1926 (Foto:Maxitravel.pt) Uma das estradas mais lendárias e famosas dos Estados Unidos, a “Route 66” é uma rodovia que foi construída nos anos 1920 e passa por 3.945 quilômetros de terras norte-americanas. They founded towns and villages, smelt iron, farmed. For example, most Americans who drove the route did not stay in hotels. "The Teepees", Blue Mesa area in Painted Desert Petrified Forest National Park, AZAustin Whittall. It obliged the states to have highway departments to design, build and upkeep the roads. and it was approved and Avery became known as "The Father of Route 66". Just as New Deal work relief programs provided employment with the construction and the maintenance of Route 66, the appearance of countless tourist courts, garages, and diners promised sustained economic growth after the road’s completion. A significance that was not only economic, but also social and historic. The Pontiac Trail symbol shield, www.ebay.com. “Route 66,” a TV drama about two young men who wander America in a Corvette, aired from 1960 to 1964. National Museum of American History. Veja como chegar em Route 66 - History Bar. Its diagonal course linked hundreds of predominantly rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago; thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution. Buildings were distinctive as gas stations, yet clearly associated with a particular petroleum company. The dirt tracks they built would later become the alignment of better roads But in 1929 Wall Street's Stock Exchange collapsed and the period of bonanza ended. It was a 50 foot obelisk that was located at the junction of the Santa Fe Trail and the Ozark Trail. These were trips of sightseeing and also a journey of adventure and discovery along the Main Street of America, an attraction in itself. Its current western terminus is in In the meantime the U.S. incorporated the southwestern territories it had gaind from Mexico after the 1846 - 1848 War. It was the end of the road until 1964, when it was decommissioned in California, and moved to the Arizona state line in Topock. Williams, Arizona, was the last town to be bypassed in 1984. At the same time the Nation became aware of the importance of a good highway network for national security. Home > next to Mel's iconic neon sign. Their comings and goings helped business along the road and many mom-and-pop businesses survived the Depression years catering to them. By 1970, nearly all segments of original Route 66 were bypassed by a modern four-lane highway. When the D.O.T. An estimated 210,000 people took to the road and migrated to California seeking jobs. Often called, “The Main Street of America”, it linked a remote and under-populated region with two vital 20th century cities – Chicago and Los Angeles. The last marker is 0.3 miles south of the Will Rogers Plaque and 0.75 miles SW of the "real" terminus, on the Santa Monica Pier. Click below to convert the website to your preferred language. Store owners, motel managers, and gas station attendants recognized early on that even the poorest travelers required food, automobile maintenance, and adequate lodging. The diagonal configuration of Route 66 was particularly significant to the trucking industry, which by 1930 had come to rival the railroad for preeminence in the American shipping industry. "traces" like the Old Indian Trace in Elkhart Illinois. Inter-Ozarks Highway Association and lobbied to get Missouri state highway 14 (later US 66) and highway 5 (now US 65) laid through Springfield MO. For centuries, travelers and explorers have been following the 35 th parallel through Arizona. Its diagonal course linked hundreds of predominantly rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago; thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution. The period of historical significance for Route 66 is 1926 to 1985. The main transcontinental routes would be multiples of 10. U.S. Route 66 (also known as the Will Rogers Highway, “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road”) was a highway in the U.S. Highway System. The National Parks in the West (Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest) drew growing crowds of visitors. The popular recording was released in 1946 by Nat King Cole one week after Troup’s arrival in Los Angeles. Below is a photo of the End of the Road sign on Lincoln and Olympic Blvds. Route 66 shield being removed, Jan 1977, Chicago. A growing trucking industry found its diagonal course appealing. It was initially a hodgepodge of different roads, most of them dirt tracks, linked together by an incipient Federal highway system. Certainly in the minds of those who endured that particularly painful experience, and in the view of generations of children to whom they recounted their story, Route 66 symbolized the “road to opportunity.”. As an example of this hodgepodge system is a segment that became part of Route 66 in Oklahoma. One of those roaming former soldiers was ex-Marine captain Robert William Troup Jr., "Bobby" Troup, who penned the hit "Route Sixty-six" while riding along Route 66 between Chicago and L.A. in 1946. US 66 covered a total of 385.20 miles (619.92 km) through Arizona. It was more adaptable than taking a train. Camp supervisors – some of whom were employed by the various states – provided water, fuel wood, privies or flush toilets, showers, and laundry facilities free of charge. network of wagon trails into the Far West. Here are some of the more interesting places on the Mother Road. The Associated Highways Association of America (AASHO) adopted the Committee's proposal which incorporated 75,000 miles of pre-existing roads into the National Highway system. Copyright © 2014 - 2020 Road Trip Journeys, all rights reserved. Route 66 has been declared in some states as a National and ⁄ or State Scenic Byway. The Federal Highway Act of 1921 set up a multiyear plan of federal funding for the program. History of Route 66. Map with Directions. Route 66 Map. The heavy traffic required a better highway and Route 66 began was upgraded to a four lane divided expressway in many parts, like in Hooker Cut (1941-43) MO, or in Plainfield and Elwood, Illinois. Starting in 1987 when The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona was founded, many groups were formed to preserve, protect and promote the grand old road. Route 66 was born; it would link the small farming towns of the midwest with the main markets at each end of the highway. Distribuidora de produtos especializada nos segmentos de segurança eletrônica, telefonia, redes, fibra óptica, automação comercial, energia solar e muito mais. travel and their legacy of seeking a better life.". Miles: 350 (approx.) "Get your kicks on Route 66," goes the popular song from 1946 by Bobby Troup. John Thomas Woodruff, (1868-1949) from Springfield MO was a businessman and promoter of the Ozarks highways; he presided the Route 66, was to those escaping famine and unemployment the "Road to Opportunity". The odd name of the Association: "National Old Trails" referred to the corridors proposed by the activists: they would retrace the historic trails of the pioneers that settled the West. A. Whittall. Avery and John Woodruff's National U.S. 66 Association had two goals: promote the road and have it paved. Their original 1912 plan aimed at linking San Diego on the Pacific with Washington, DC and Baltimore on the Atlantic. The experience of a young Army captain, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who found his command bogged down in spring mud near Ft. Riley, Kansas, while on a coast-to-coast maneuver, left an indelible impression. Confusing isn't it?. Route 66 sign in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Motor courts offered additional amenities, such as adjoining restaurants, souvenir shops, and swimming pools. and Olympic Blv., Santa Monica. The railroad and later Route 66 would Evolution of Route 66 A lot of people might say that it only existed as a unification, which has been a legally codified road for around 59 years. One can still be seen in Oklahoma (Between Stroud and Davenport). Motels, tourist courts, service stations Americans could now roam across America, free and unchallenged. flourished in the post war prosperity. decided to extend Route 66 from downtown Los Angeles, it was realigned along Sunset Blvd. Hotels by motels and restaurants by drive-ins. Many states had already taken down the "obsolete" signs: California did it back in 1964, Illinois in 1977. President Eisenhower had a very high opinion on the Autobahn's he had seen in Germany during WWII and was convinced that America needed a similar system of divided highways that could offer safety and speed. And was the basis for the roads which would later cross the region, like Route 66. Route 66, also known as Mother Road or the Main Street of America is a road stretching from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. Although automobiles had been around since the late 1800s, they began to become more popular towards the end of the first decade of the twentieth century. The Great Depression began; hard times had arrived. These had to be numbered in a rational manner. The Lincoln Highway predated this legislation; it was authorized in 1912, and it linked New York with San Francisco. In 1853, the U.S. Congress commissioned Amiel Weeks Whipple (1817 - 1863), a Captain of the Army Topographical Corps, to survey a proposed transcontinental railroad. Like the early, long-gone trails of the nineteenth century, Route 66 helped to spirit a second and perhaps more permanent mass relocation of Americans. It is thanks to these programs that Route 66 became the first highway in America to be completely paved by 1938. 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. Real paving efforts began in 1926 but would not be completed until 1938. Fill in your information below to receive updates and offers from the National Historic Route 66 Federation. From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed south through Illinois and Missouri, and a small section of southeast Kansas. www.66postcards.com. This highway was to link Chicago with Los Angeles, and even though it was not a transcontinental road Avery wanted it to be numbered as if it was: US 60 (a multiple of 10). Now that the highway has celebrated its 75th birthday, its contribution to the nation must be evaluated in the broader context of American social and cultural history. For decades those traveling along it brought prosperity to the roadside communities and built a deep bond with the Mother Road. It linked dozens of small farming communities and trucks distributed their produce. "The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Click on a section of the map for a more detailed map and links to Route 66 sites. Fur trappers in the 1700s and the first European pioneers in the early 1800s used them to reach the Mississippi River. New Signs and road marks have been emplaced along the highway to guide travelers along their road trips. In 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a naval officer in the service of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, was ordered by the War Department to build a government-funded wagon road along the 35th Parallel. We prefer sixty six to sixty two." (Click the link to learn more about Lupton and The Grapes of Wrath): Painted Cliffs in Lupton and Route 66 as it was in 1940 when "The Grapes of Wrath" was filmed. Between 1941 and 1945 the government invested approximately $70 billion in capital projects throughout California, a large portion of which were in the Los Angeles-San Diego area. They survived and were used by the Indians as foot trails known as As a Californian, he experienced the plight of those fleeing from Many rural communities were directly in the pathway or nearby, breathing some much-needed life into them. In many respects, the physical remains of Route 66 mirror the evolution of highway development in the United States from a rudimentary hodge-podge of state and country roads to a federally subsidized complex of uniform, well-designed interstate expressways. A Rota 66 (em inglês: U.S. Route 66) é uma rodovia norte-americana do U.S. Highway System .Também é a estrada mais famosa do mundo. One such emigrant was Robert William Troup, Jr., of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This is 0.7 miles west of the "real" endpoint, and they placed a plaque here in 1952 (Map showing where it is). (See a brief history of posthumous literature.) The Great Depression ended with the sudden increase of Government investment and spending caused by the US involvement in World War II (1942 - 1945). It was during this period that the television series, “Route 66”, starring Martin Milner and George Maharis drove into the living rooms of America every Friday. Between 1926 and 1936, Route 66 had its Western Terminus in downtown Los Angeles (on what is now Ezat Delijani Square on Broadway and 7th. All the information you will need on the best travel destinations, attractions, hotels, motels and restaurants on U.S. Route 66. In 1926, Woodruff and Cyrus Avery founded the U.S. Highway 66 Association, Woodruff was its president. Thanks to the book and the 1940 movie, Route 66 has remained seared in the American memory. Route 66 in Arizona. Sunbelt states population grew between 40% and 74%. It was built as a state highway bbetween 1919 and 1924; and is an example of early paved road building techniques. It offers, along a unique path, a string of striking postcard-like scenarios. I challenge anyone to show a road of equal length that traverses more scenery, more agricultural wealth, and more mineral wealth than does U.S. 66. U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was a major United States Numbered Highway in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926 to June 26, 1985. The true end point Larger trucks were built during the war and U.S. 66 was the main link between Eastern and Western U.S., long convoys transported military supplies and troops along the highway. Governor A. T. Hannett lost his 1927 bid to re-election and was annoyed with the local politicians and business men in the capital city of Santa Fe. But the US 60 name was disputed by a highway following the historical National Roosevelt Midland Trai. Its southerly course made it a popular alternative to other east -west corridors: it had a more temperate climate than those located further north, and it crossed the flat prairies avoiding high passes in the Rocky Mountains; that meant it was open during the winter. Route 66 propped the local economy in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico through the New Deal programs implemented by President Franklyn D. Roosevelt. The abbreviated route between Chicago and the Pacific coast traversed essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate than northern highways, which made it especially appealing to truckers. The Western part of the country was chosen by the War Department for the location of new military training bases; the dry weather was ideal for the purpose and the He was an entrepreneur a teacher and a very active promoter of travel and tourism. The Ozark Trail soon grew to span Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and eastern New Mexico. Various alignments of the legendary road, many of which are still detectable, illustrate the evolution of road engineering from coexistence with the surrounding landscape to domination of it. This road became part of US 66. transcontinental railroad and US66. Santa Monica Pier Map showing location of sign. But a choherent National network of highways was necessary. This enormous capital outlay served to underwrite entirely new industries that created thousands of civilian jobs. Established in November 1926, Route 66 was one of the main routes to take while travelling from the east to west coast. While not the first long-distance highway, or the most traveled, Route 66 gained fame beyond almost any other road. Route 66 was a highway spawned by the demands of a rapidly changing America. [Migrants] come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. Before this Act, the country had about 2.5 million miles of roads of which 10.5% were surfaced but only 1.29% were paved (with bricks, concrete or bituminous materials). Click for More Information on "Get your Kicks", the song, its lyrics, meaning and more. Federal funds were also provided and the road was paved along its whole length by 1923. Find everything from what books and maps to use, down to detailed turn-by-turn driving instructions to keep you on the Mother Road. If military use of the highway during wartime ensured the early success of roadside businesses, the demands of the new tourism industry in the postwar decades gave rise to modern facilities that guaranteed long-term prosperity. It would take another 50 years for the car to compete effectively against the trains. Main Street in each of the towns it crosses. But the changing global context would also lead to Route 66's demise. Within its framework, a study conducted by the National Park Service that evaluated its significance and identified ways to preserve it. It was to be an interstate network linking the country. General Eisenhower had returned from Germany very impressed by the strategic value of Hitler’s Autobahn. East to West roads would be even, starting with 2 (along the Canadian border) and ending with 90 in the south. This led to the creation of Route 66. Its course from Tulsa OK to the West Coast roughly followed the 35th parallel route scouted by Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale back in 1857. Completion of this all-weather capability on the eve of World War II was particularly significant to the nation’s war effort.