Why Is Route 66 Famous?

Why is Route 66 in America so famous?

The highway quickly became a popular route because of the active promotion of the U.S 66 Highway Association, which advertised it as ‘the shortest, best and most scenic route from Chicago through St. Louis to Los Angeles.

What does Route 66 symbolize?

Route 66 road emblems in Amboy, CA NPS It spans the heart of America, symbolizing mobility, freedom, and pursuit of the American Dream. Highly celebrated through literature, film, and song, Route 66 is of national significance as a symbol of our transportation history and the impact of the automobile.

Created in 1926 to meet the increasing demand for automobile transportation, it enabled the movement of emigrants out of the Dust Bowl, the mobilization of military convoys during World War II, and fed the boom of post-war automobile tourism. The 2,400-mile ribbon of pavement from Chicago to Santa Monica linked the main streets of rural towns to urban centers, permitting the flow of ideas and industry across the country.

The highway facilitated one of the most comprehensive movements of people in the history of the United States, resulting in a dramatic transformation of the American West from a rural frontier to a pace-setting metropolitan region. Perhaps more than any other highway, Route 66 has come to symbolize hope, progress, and the spirit of adventure.

Why do Europeans like Route 66?

“Route 66 as Seen Through Europeans” Tourism directors and businesses on Route 66 want to draw more European travelers but aren’t sure how to do so. So who better to give advice than a European who’s a longtime Route 66 fan? Swa Frantzen of Belgium fit the bill during his presentation at the Miles of Possibility conference in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Oct.30.

• He launched the in 1994 (and plans an upgrade of the site soon), travels Route 66 regularly and also goes to the East Coast for his work in computer security.
• Frantzen began the presentation with these questions: What got me interested? When did he first learn of Route 66? Like many other Europeans, he wasn’t sure.

“Route 66 has been there, always,” he explained. He said Europeans primarily learn of Route 66 through films such as “Easy Rider” and “Thelma and Louise.” Frantzen said the “Route 66” television show from the 1960s isn’t a factor because it’s not broadcast in Europe.

• He said the “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” song has some influence, but far less than movies.
• He said Europeans primarily associate Route 66 with rock music, being on the road, freedom and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
• The association with Harleys is so strong, Frantzen said, even people who hold no interest in motorcycles want to drive Route 66 in a Harley.

He said the image of is common in the European imagination. But Frantzen said Europeans’ knowledge of Route 66 is rudimentary — most hold little information about practical matters, which is one of the obstacles to them traveling it. Many also incorrectly think it’s a coast-to-coast highway, the longest highway, or the oldest highway.

Los Angeles traffic (which Frantzen said isn’t bad relative to many big European cities)Air pollutionLack of gun controlViolence, riots and police brutalityHigh health-care costsHigh court costs

Frantzen said the European press is “very left-wing” compared to what is in the United States. And he said U.S. politics is “far more right” than any European politician. When American critics call President Barack Obama a socialist, he and other Europeans tend to dismiss it.

“You haven’t met a socialist,” he said.Frantzen said correct and more-balanced information on “controversial topics” is needed for prospective European travelers — something he tries to offer with the forum page of his Route 66 website.Other differences between American and European culture:

Talking to strangers is a common American trait, but it’s unusual in Europe. A suddenly spontaneous chat from an American often puts Europeans on the defensive.Politics is much more private in Europe — namely because many countries have 15 political parties or more.Religion is less important in Europe. “The churches there are mostly empty,” he said. “You (Americans) wear your religion on your sleeve or on a sticker of your car.”Gun ownership in Europe is much less, Frantzen said, and noted even British police officers are unarmed. “Guns in a heavily populated area is very difficult to explain to Europeans.” He said one way European visitors can comprehend it better is to give an example of a Western rancher who needs firearms to protect himself and his livestock from predatory animals and criminals on his isolated land.

Another obstacle to Europeans traveling Route 66 is the high cost. He said renting a Harley or convertible, plus the drop-off fees, plus overseas flights, plus lodging wind up making it an expensive trip. An exotic beach vacation, he said, is cheaper than doing Route 66.

• Interestingly, he said fuel costs on Route 66 aren’t much of a hurdle, namely because gasoline in the U.S.
• Is half the cost compared to Europe.
• Europeans have much more vacation time, Franzen said — up to 35 paid holidays.
• Taxes in Europe are high, however.
• Regarding historic preservation, Franzen said Europe’s heritage properties are heavily protected.

If such a property is torn down without permission, the owner is subject to criminal prosecution and must rebuild it. Properties from more-recent eras, such as art nouveau, however, are neglected. And historic industrial buildings are not protected. Authenticity is valued by Europeans, and that includes so-called eyesore properties, Frantzen said.

Historic sites shouldn’t be “overly restored,” and streetscaping and beautification efforts aren’t deemed authentic by Europeans. “It doesn’t have to be pretty, clean, cheerful, slick and freshly painted,” he said. “Don’t be so quick to repaint it.” Originality also is valued by European travelers. Frantzen says efforts by towns to set up a Route 66 museum, a welcome gateway, murals on every wall and painted water towers are too common.

With historic preservation, Frantzen says a mantra of “preserve if you can, restore if you have to” should be adopted. Restoration, he said, should be done carefully, or else you irreversibly lose the property’s originality. (More stories from the Miles of Possibility Conference will be posted in the coming days.) : “Route 66 as Seen Through Europeans”

What is the most famous Route 66?

1 Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, Texas) – Cadillac Ranch A short 15-minute drive from Amarillo lies one of the most iconic and quirky sites on Route 66; Cadillac Ranch a public art installation and sculpture. Amongst the red Texan desert sits 10 half-buried graffiti-covered Cadillacs nose-first in the ground. Visitors are encouraged to create their own art by spray painting a part of their chosen Cadillac.

Is Route 66 still the longest road in America?

US Highway 66, popularly known as “Route 66,” is a significant as the nation’s first all-weather highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles, When contrasted with transcontinental corridors, Route 66 does not stand out as America’s oldest or longest road. What sets this national highway apart from its contemporaries is that it was the shortest, year-round route between the Midwest and the Pacific Coast. Route 66 reduced the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles by more than 200 miles, which made Route 66 popular with motorists who drove west in subsequent decades. Learn more about the history of Route 66 >>

What is the most famous route in the US?

Route 66 – It doesn’t get any more famous than Route 66. The ‘ Historic ‘ Route 66, constructed in 1926. “The Mother Road.” Chances are this famous highway is ringing some bells. Route 66 begins in Chicago and goes through SIX states (Santa Monica, California.

• Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) before reaching its stopping point.
• It’s symbol is famous.
• It’s been in famous movies and books.
• The bet is safe to say that people have seen this highway somewhere.
• AND this iconic highway was, and still is, ideal for truckers because of the basically straight shot across all states.

Very suitable for those behind the 18-wheelers.

Is 66 the mother road the road of flight?

Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link) VOICE ONE: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein. VOICE TWO: And I’m Steve Ember. This week, we go for a ride through the colorful history of Route 66, a road that has been called “The Main Street of America.” ((MUSIC: “Route 66″/Rosemary Clooney) VOICE ONE: The idea for Route 66 started in Oklahoma.

Citizens there wanted to link their state with states to the east and west. By the nineteen twenties, federal officials wanted to connect state roads to provide a shorter, faster way across the country. So a plan was developed to connect existing state roads into one long national highway. United States Highway 66 was established on November eleventh, nineteen twenty-six.

It was one the first federal highways. It crossed eight states. It was three thousand eight hundred kilometers long. Route 66 became the most famous road in America. It passed through the center of many cities and towns. It crossed deserts, mountains, valleys and rivers.

• VOICE TWO: In the nineteen thirties, people suffered through the Great Depression.
• In Oklahoma, many poor families lost their farms because of dust storms.
• So they traveled west to California on Route 66 in search of a better life.
• In nineteen thirty-nine, John Steinbeck wrote about these families in “The Grapes of Wrath.” VOICE ONE: In his book, Steinbeck wrote: “66 – the long concrete path across the country, waving gently up and down on the map,

over the red lands and the gray lands, twisting up into the mountains, crossing the Divide and down into the bright and terrible desert, and across the desert to the mountains again, and into the rich California valleys.” Steinbeck wrote: “66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land 66 is the mother road, the road of flight.” VOICE TWO: In nineteen forty-six, the songwriter Bobby Troup and his wife drove across the country to Los Angeles.

1. He wrote a song about traveling on Route 66.
2. The song told people they could have fun, could get their kicks, on that drive.
3. In Los Angeles, Bobby Troup took the song to Nat King Cole, who recorded it.
4. It became a huge hit.
5. MUSIC: “Route 66″/Nat King Cole) VOICE ONE: In the nineteen fifties, holiday travel brought more and more families out West to explore.

Route 66 represented the spirit of movement and excitement. In the nineteen sixties, Americans watched a popular television series called “Route 66.” It was the story of two young men driving across the country. The show was filmed in cities and towns across America.

• Yet only a few shows were filmed on the real Route 66.
• VOICE TWO: In real life, people were getting fewer and fewer kicks on Route 66.
• By nineteen sixty-two, parts of the road were closed because they were in poor condition.
• The federal government was building bigger highways.
• Cars and trucks could travel at higher speeds.

People started driving on these new interstate highways instead of the old Route 66. Finally, in nineteen eighty-five, Route 66 was officially removed from the national highway system. People have formed groups to save parts of the old 66 and many of the interesting places to eat, stay and see along the way.

1. VOICE ONE: Award-winning writer Michael Wallis is an expert on the historic highway.
2. He is the author of “Route 66: The Mother Road.” Michael Wallis was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, right off the highway.
3. He has lived in seven of the eight states along its path.
4. His Web site, michaelwallis.com, has information and stories about the history of the Mother Road.

(MUSIC: “Route 66″/Chuck Berry) VOICE TWO: Now it is our turn to take a trip on Route 66. We will have to search for it at times. Many parts of the road have new names or numbers. Some parts of it are included in other interstate highways. Our trip begins in the Midwest, in Chicago, Illinois.

Almost three million people live there. Chicago is America’s third largest city. From Chicago, the road goes southwest through many small towns in Illinois. One of them is Springfield, the home of America’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. Now we cross into Missouri. We drive through Saint Louis, the city known as “the Gateway to the West.” More than three hundred thousand people live there.

There are many natural wonders to see in Missouri. One of the most famous along Route 66 is Meramec Caverns in Stanton. VOICE ONE: Inside the cave, visitors see beautifully colored stalagmites and stalactites. These are mineral formations. Stalagmites rise from the floor; stalactites hang from the ceiling.

Long ago, local Indian tribes used the Meramec Caverns for shelter. A French miner named Jacques Renault discovered saltpeter in the caverns in the seventeen hundreds. The material was used to produce gunpowder. Later, the outlaw Jesse James is said to have used the caverns as a hiding place. VOICE TWO: From Missouri, our drive takes us for a very short time through the state of Kansas.

Then we enter Oklahoma. Oklahoma may well be the heart and soul of Route 66. That is because there are more kilometers of the road in Oklahoma than in any other state. In Claremore, Oklahoma, a statue honors a famous American, Will Rogers. Will Rogers was born in Claremore.

1. He became a popular actor, radio broadcaster and newspaper writer in the nineteen twenties and thirties.
2. We pass through many historic towns in Oklahoma.
3. In Oklahoma City, we can visit the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.
4. And in Clinton, we can stop at the Route 66 Museum.
5. This official museum tells the complete history of the road and its importance to America.

(MUSIC: “Route 66″/Depeche Mode) VOICE ONE : Now we drive through the northern part of Texas. The area is called the Texas Panhandle. We stop near the city of Amarillo to look at some unusual art that celebrates Route 66. Welcome to Cadillac Ranch. A Cadillac is a large, costly automobile.

Cadillac Ranch has ten of them half buried in the ground. A wealthy farmer and art collector named Stanley Marsh created Cadillac Ranch to honor America’s roads. Continuing west, we travel through the states of New Mexico and Arizona. We pass through some of the most beautiful country in the Southwest.

Petrified Forest National Park is one of the natural wonders of Arizona. Trees that are millions of years old have turned to stone in unusual shapes. North of Route 66 is a desert known for its red and yellow sand and rocks. Its name is the Painted Desert.

(MUSIC: “Route 66″/John Mayer) VOICE TWO: We continue on our trip, driving on a winding road up and down the Black Mountains. We arrive at Oatman, Arizona. Long ago, Oatman was a rich gold-mining town. Everyone left the town when the mining ended. Today Oatman still looks like it did in the past. Now we enter California.

We pass through the Mojave Desert, some mountains and several interesting towns. The old highway gets lost among the modern road systems of Los Angeles. Finally, we arrive at the Pacific Ocean in the city of Santa Monica. Our trip ends. We watch the tide come in, and thank Route 66 for the ride.

What influence did Route 66 have on the movie Cars?

Ka-Chow!! – The Cars Story So, Lasseter took off the summer of 2000, bought a motorhome, loaded up his wife and kids, and headed east on a two-month-long journey, but not before touching their toes in the Pacific Ocean. It was to be a road trip that set the tone for his life for the next six years and beyond.

• Not having a set schedule allowed the Lasseter clan to meander slowly and experience America one day at a time.
• The Atlantic Ocean was but a mere target, and as Lasseter soon discovered while looking through that wide windshield, that the journey was the destination, not the other way around.
• Upon his return from that epic summer trip, it set in motion a team of producers, writers, animators and others to use Route 66 as a conduit for telling a story, another metaphor of the broader narrative that our car culture begat.

The result was the first Cars movie that hit screens nationwide in 2006. Lasseter was intrigued by Route 66, how it was the model for the way businesses used to look and function before the introduction of the Interstate. As soon as the Interstate went in, towns were bypassed, and some died on the vine.

Jay Ward, Creative Director for the Cars movie franchise, explained: “It was an analogy for Lightning McQueen, who was a car going so fast through life. He would have taken the Interstate every time. once he was forced into the little town of Radiator Springs, he was forced to slow down and see things in a new light, and see things through their perspective.” There was never any doubt in John’s mind that autos themselves would play every role.

Lasseter loved cars and car culture, perhaps influenced by his father being a parts manager at a Chevy dealership, and perhaps shaped by having grown-up in southern California’s car culture. Pixar has anthropomorphized everything from toys to insects in bringing its stories to life, quite handily making them appeal not only to kids in theaters, but also to the adults who share in their experience.

And it didn’t take much discussing to decide that the eyes of these cars had to be the windshield, rather than the headlamps. As Lasseter describes, it was critically important early on to determine what and where the face would be, as it is a window to the soul. A goal of animation is for a character to move such that it looks like it is the result of its own thought processes.

Lasseter took his cues from one of his favorite animations, Disney’s 1952, Susie The Little Blue Coupe, whose eyes were the windshield. “Cars are characters first, that happen to be people,” Ward stressed. The pecking order in this relationship, though, was always clear.

What is Route 66 equivalent to in Europe?

European route E66 – Wikipedia Road in trans-European E-road network E66 Route informationLength651 km (405 mi)Major junctionsWest end, East end, LocationCountries Highway system

European route E66 is a part of the, This Class A intermediate west-east route runs 651 kilometres (405 mi) from in to in, connecting the with the,

Is there a Route 66 in Europe?

EN2: Meet Portugal’s Route 66 The EN2 is the longest road in the entire Portuguese territory: it is 739 kilometres long and it’s the only one in Europe that crosses a country in its entirety. There are only two others in the world that surpass it – the iconic Route 66, in the United States of America, and the Ruta 40, in Argentina.

• This mythical road was inaugurated on May 11, 1945, and symbolizes the realization of one of the greatest dreams of Salazar – the Former Minister of Finance of Portugal responsible for Portugal’s authoritarian government until 1974.
• Part of the EN2’s structure corresponds to the old Estrada Real, a route that crossed the interior of Portugal and was intended to serve the Portuguese kingdom.

Nowadays, the EN2 is much more than a road; it is a living representation of Portuguese customs and traditions, from north to south, Chaves and Faro, A path that is rich in breathtaking natural landscapes and unforgettable gastronomic experiences, as well as miles and kilometres of heritage and culture of the Portuguese people.

Does Route 66 go through Las Vegas?

The Grand Canyon to Las Vegas – Seligman As with the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas isn’t considered part of the original Route 66. But, it’s a city you might be keen to experience at least once, and it’s close enough (five hours’ drive) to the canyon. En route is Seligman, a classic Route 66 town of traditional motels, diners, shops and flashing neon signs.

Has anyone ever ran Route 66?

Route 66 history – Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926. That’s right! Participants in the Route 66 UltraRun have the honor of starting the race on the same date the Route was established! November 11th is also Veterans Day in the U.S. We thank and honor our vets, and offer a discount on the registration fees to vets (whether from the US or other country).

• We also offer a discount to first responders (firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians) to thank all of you for your past, and continuing, service.
• Finally, November 11th just happens to be Mark ‘Mace” Macy’s birthday! Mace is always and forever a Stray Dog and our inspiration.

Thus, every year, no matter the day of the week, the Route 66 UltraRun will start on November 11th. Mark your calendars! The Route originally ran 2,448 miles (3,940 km) from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. What style fits you the best? Whatever your style, Route 66 holds a treasured place in the American memory. Today Historic Route 66 in Arizona is dotted with small towns filled with mom-and-pop diners, vintage motor courts, blazing neon signs, and classic roadside attractions. From the burros in Oatman, to a gigantic head that may have come aliens in Anteres (We Believe!), to a stone gas station that’s been burned down, blown up in a Hollywood movie, and still rose yet again from the ashes,

1. As Roger Naylor wrote in his book Arizona Kicks on Route 66, “Quirky is the coin of the realm” – and so is resilience.
2. Did you know that a barber in Seligman started the movement to save the highway? Without him Route 66 never would have gained the “Historic” designation.
3. That’s why Seligman is the Birthplace of Historic Route 66.

Angel Delgadillo was the founder of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, which served as the model for every other state along the route to do the same. It’s a true story of how one person truly can make a difference. As the Route 66 Historic Association of Arizona says, “It’s preservation is that of our history, and our future.” The 1928 Bunion Derbies, a 3,400-mile, 84-day footrace from Los Angeles to New York City ran Route 66 through Arizona, and beyond.

• Charles Kastner is perhaps “the” historian of the Bunion Derbies, including his book about the 1928 race Bunion Derby: The First Footrace Across America.
• In 2022 ‘Chuck’ joined us to crew for his son, who finished the race with additional crew support from his brother.
• History past, and history still being made! As Chuck tells in his book, “Cash and Carry” C.C.

Pyle created the race to promote the new highway and provided, sometimes rather poorly, for 199 starters including five African Americans, a Jamaican-born Canadian, and perhaps as many as fifteen Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders, representing about ten percent of the competitors.

The rest were white. Having this integrated field of competitors was highly unusual for the day. All were chasing a $25,000 first prize, a small fortune in 1928 dollars. On May 26, 1928, 55 weary men made their final laps around the track in Madison Square Garden. Three of the top ten finishers were runners of color, including the $25,000 first prize winner, Andy Payne, a part Cherokee Indian from Oklahoma, the $5,000 third place winner, Phillip Granville of Canada, and the $1,000 eighth place winner, Eddie Gardner of Seattle.

In honor of Andy’s historic win, the Route 66 UltraRun as the only (that we know of) traveling trophy: The Andy Payne Cup. The winner of the race ‘gets’ the cup, but only for one year, until the next race is held. Then, if he or she wins again, it’s ‘theirs’ for another year but, if someone else beats them to the finish at Topock66 on the Colorado River, they have to pass it on to the new winner.

Yes, ala the Stanley Cup. During the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, “Oakies” – mostly farming families from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas – used Route 66 to travel to what they hoped would be salvation, or at least the ability to work and support themselves and their families. In John Steinbeck’s classic American novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and the 1940 film of the same name directed by John Ford, the Route symbolized escape and loss.

Check out the Route 66 Museum in Kingman to learn more about the Oakies and more! During WWII, as explained on the “Route 66 served as a military transport corridor moving troops and supplies from one military reservation to another. Motels saw an increase in occupancy, as families of servicemen stationed at military bases stayed for long stretches.

But more significantly, Route 66 facilitated perhaps the single greatest wartime mobilization, as thousands of job seekers headed to California, Oregon, and Washington to work in defense plants. When the war ended, traffic increased as rationing and travel restrictions were lifted. Automobile ownership grew dramatically over the next 10 years, with 52.1 million cars registered in 1955 (compared to the 25.8 million at the end of the war).

With more cars and leisure time, families headed west on Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, Disneyland, and the beaches of Southern California. With the heavier traffic, businesses along the highway boomed, and the image of Route 66 as a Dustbowl migration route changed to one of freedom and kicks.” Then the interstates came.

With the construction of I-40 in Arizona, Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985. And when we say removed, we mean completely removed from paper road maps and atlases – yes, you had to be able to read a map before there was GPS in your car and on your phone – as if the cities and towns, and the people and businesses along the Route, didn’t even exist.

Losing almost all of the traffic along the Route was the death knell for many mom-and-pop motels, restaurants, and shops. The first Route 66 Association was founded in Seligman in 1987: a true grassroots resurgence leading to official recognition that Route 66 had “become a symbol of the American people’s heritage of travel and their legacy of seeking a better life.” You will be running in, and retracing, the steps of so many other before you! The Route 66 UltraRun truly is 140 miles of history, and a race for everyone including those that came before us and those striving to keep history alive.

1. We were honored that all of these businesses helped us with the Alzheimer’s Association fundraising efforts associated with our walk across all 158 miles on Historic Route 66 February 26 through March 3, 2022: 6 Marathons in 6 Days on Route 66 in honor of Mace.
2. Our work to End ALZ continues with this race: we donate a portion of the registration fee to the Association, and encourage you to donate now.

Now we are thrilled that they have shown their excitement about, and support of, the Route 66 UltraRun. In 2022, our inaugural year, just in Seligman, Lilo’s Westside Cafe opened uber-early just to feed our runners and crew and packed to-go breakfasts for our staff and volunteers.

Angel’s Gift Shop opened before the 7AM start to provide last-minute shopping and facilities; and Angel himself started the race for us. What an honor!!! The Canyon Lodge Motel served as race headquarters, renting almost all of their rooms to us for race staff and volunteers, and numerous other hotels hosted participants and their crews.

We can’t wait for YOU to have the opportunity to meet all of the amazing people and businesses along the Route. You will provide an off-season boost and will experience real hometown America: it is still out there! After the race participants only regret seemed to be not taking the time – either before or after the event – to experience more of the history and beauty of the area. : A Unique Race

What is the longest road in the world?

1. Pan American Highway – The longest road in the world is the Pan American Highway which begins in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and stretches all the way down to Ushuaia, Argentina. All in all, the road covers 30,000 km (19,000 miles). The highway is credited by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest “motorable road”, however, there is a 106 km (66-mile) rainforest break that separates South and Central America.

This area is known as the Darien Gap and requires a four-day hike if you want to travel the distance by land. To pass the gap by car you’ll need to take the ferry to get from Panama to Colombia. Driving the complete 30,000 km route will see you pass through an array of diverse climates from barren tundra and arid deserts to dense jungles and wet rainforests.

In total there are 14 countries that the Pan American Highway passes through. Brave travellers who attempt the world’s longest road will need several months to complete the journey. Looking to lease a new car for your next road trip? See our special offers here!

What is the most famous route in the world?

1. Most famous road – Linking Chicago and Los Angeles, Route 66, also known as the Main Street of America, has been immortalised in song and on screen and is certainly a candidate for the title of world’s most famous road. Also in the running, the stylish, stately Avenue Champs-Élysées will take centre stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Australia’s sublimely scenic Great Ocean Road tops many a bucket list. The Avenue Champs-Élysées in Paris is one of the world’s most famous roads. Photo: Reuters The Silk Road merits a mention as well, even though the original caravan trail no longer exists. In fact it never did. The fabled link between China and the West was a vast network of trade routes used by merchants hawking goods as varied as carpets and camels, glassware and gold. Highway 10 in Saudi Arabia: originally built for the king, it is the longest stretch of straight road in the world. Photo: Twitter@Sigujana_ZA

Why is Route 66 called the Main Street of America?

In the 1920s and 1930s, new highways began to affect people’s lives. Some Americans used highways to migrate. Others earned a living on the road, or by its side, running businesses. Many Americans began to take to the highways for pleasure. Travelers often saw the highway as a symbol of independence and freedom, even though they depended on government for the roads they drove on, and on businesses such as automobile and tire manufacturers, oil refiners, gas stations, and roadside restaurants for support.

Route 66 was commissioned in 1926 and fully paved by the late 1930s. It ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, creating connections between hundreds of small towns and providing a trucking route through the Southwest. While not the first long-distance highway, or the most traveled, Route 66 gained fame beyond almost any other road.

Dubbed the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, Route 66 carried hundreds of thousands of Depression-era migrants from the Midwest who went to California hoping for jobs and a better life. Pavement from Route 66 near Bridgeport, Oklahoma, 1932 1931 Ford Model AA stake bed truck The flat all-season route of U.S.66 led to an increase in long-distance trucking. By the 1930s, individual truck owners and small fleets carried many types of goods. Farmers also used Route 66, and in the 1940s military traffic and heavy demands on freight trains again increased truck traffic.

This truck is similar to ones used on Route 66. Like the pioneer days, when they outfitted at St. Louis for all points in the West and Southwest, so today people traveling by auto find themselves coming to St. Louis over the various U.S. roads, and when arriving in St. Louis, by consulting their map, find U.S.66 is the most direct road to the Pacific coast and likewise to all points in the great Southwest.

“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.” Cyrus Avery Cyrus Avery, a businessman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is credited with creating the identity of Route 66. U.S.66 route marker, 1930s Gift of State of Oklahoma, Department of Transportation View object record Highway advocate Cyrus Avery, 1916 Courtesy of Joy Avery and Cyrus Stevens Avery II Cyrus Avery (third from left) supported the proposed Ozark Trail highway through Springfield, Missouri; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Amarillo, Texas, in 1916.

Ten years later, he established U.S.66 along the same route. “After Carl got a truck to earn more money, I was alone here to run this place. During this time, people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Oklahoma were traveling the road to the West Coast to find jobs. Many times I would have people stop that were completely broke, and I would feed them and give them gas in exchange for some appliance or other articles of value they might have.

Sometimes I would just buy their old broke-down cars, and then they would catch the bus and head on west looking for work.” -Lucille Hamons In 1941 Carl and Lucille Hamons purchased a gasoline station and tourist court on a rural stretch of Route 66 in Provine, Oklahoma. Sign from Hamons Court on Route 66, Provine, Oklahoma, 1941 Gift of Cheryl Hamons Nowka, Carlisle L. Hamons, Carla M. Hamons Wyatt, and Delpha D. Martin View object record Lucille Hamons’s gas station Courtesy of Cheryl Hamons Nowka Carl and Lucille Hamons at Lucille’s gasoline station on Route 66, 1941. The tourist cabins are in the background. Her family lived upstairs and behind the customer area of the station. The Haggard family: “Headed west toward California” Mama and Daddy were making it on a 40-acre farm they had leased.

it was all gone. The barn, the wagon, the plows, the cows, the horses, and Daddy’s prized Model A Ford. He set out to town on foot to get himself another car. He came back home with a ’26 Chevy and a little homemade trailer bumping along behind. They gave up the lease on the 40 acres, loaded what belongings they had in the trailer, and headed west toward California.” -Merle Haggard,Sing Me Back Home: My Story (1981) In the 1930s, drought and falling crop prices drove thousands of rural midwestern families to leave their farms and follow Route 66 to California to find work.

James F. and Flossie Haggard left Oklahoma in 1935 after a fire destroyed their barn and its contents. The Haggards and their children, Lillian and James Lowell, made their home near Bakersfield, and James found work with the Santa Fe Railway. Another son, Merle, was born in Bakersfield and began his singing career there. Haggard car with trailer Courtesy of Lillian Haggard Hoge The Haggard family took these possesions with them on their trip from Oklahoma to California. Flossie Haggard used the camera to take pictures of the family during the trip. Lillian Haggard in Arizona, 1935 Courtesy of Lillian Haggard Hoge James and Flossie Haggard, 1937 Courtesy of Lillian Haggard Hoge The Haggards moved from Oklahoma to California with a 1926 Chevrolet sedan and took photographs along the way. We got to Bakersfield the following Friday. We found a lot with a Santa Fe refrigerator car on it.

The owner gave us nine months free rent if we would cut windows and doors in it, and do the plumbing to make a livable place of it. We took advantage of the offer and added little improvements until it was a cozy little home.” -Flossie Haggard We made plans to drive from Rochester, New York, to Hermosa Beach, California.Mary Jane drove her car, I drove mine.

Somewhere in Missouri we crossed some railroad tracks, and my two front tires blew. We had to spend an extra day for repairs.On the road again, we became aware of a car with four young men doing the same as we. Our rest stops were lots of fun with some boys to talk with.

Getting close to Albuquerque, we noticed the reddest soil all around. As we went through Flagstaff the next day, we were treated to a magnificent morning sky.Thanksgiving Day 1947: the boys headed off to their intended destination, and we girls were welcomed with open arms at my parents’ house in Hermosa Beach.” —Caroline Millbank Short In November 1947, Caroline Millbank, Janet McDonnel, Ethel May Krockenberger, and Mary Jane Pecora drove from Rochester, New York, to Los Angeles by way of Route 66.

One was returning home, two were moving to the West Coast, and one went along for the ride. The journey on Route 66 was a memorable time for all four women: it represented a path to a better future, the way home, and an unforgettable look at the American West. Caroline Millbank with Route 66 sign, Kansas Caroline Millbank, Janet McDonnel, Ethel May Krockenberger, and Mary Jane Pecora on Texas sign. Janet McDonnel with road sign on Route 66 at New Mexico state line. Ethel May Krockenberger in Arizona. Route 66 map collage by Cynthia Troup, 1946 Courtesy of Cynnie Troup and Ronne Troup In 1946 Bobby Troup, an aspiring songwriter and music arranger, drove from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles to advance his career. During the long trip, his wife, Cynthia, suggested that he write a song about highways, and she thought of the rhyme “Get your kicks on Route 66.” Bobby wrote the rest of the words and music as they traveled the famous highway. Sheet music for “Route 66,” The King Cole Trio, who first recorded Bobby and Cynthia Troup’s musical tribute to the highway, is pictured in the center. “During the Great Depression, times became tough and my dad’s business was very poor, and we were just about ready to join the Grapes of Wrath people.

Our house was boarded up, and my dad and brothers got our Model T Ford ready, they built a trailer to haul all our things. I was just a little bitty guy, and I was real scared about what was going to happen to us. Then my brothers Juan and Joe got jobs playing with bands and traveling up and down Route 66, and we didn’t have to leave after all.” —Angel Delgadillo Jr.

Angel Delgadillo Sr. arrived in Seligman, Arizona, in 1917 and set up a pool hall and barbershop for the town’s Mexican and Basque populations. In 1926, Route 66 came through town and helped the family prosper. During the Depression, however, the family relied on the children’s musical skills to survive. Seligman, Arizona, 1930s Courtesy of Angel and Vilma Delgadillo Jr. Before Route 66 came through, Seligman was a railroad town on the Santa Fe line. Angel Delgadillo Sr. worked for the railroad as a laborer and then a skilled worker. Involved in the great 1922 shopmen’s strike, Delgadillo lost his railroad job and opened his own business. Delgadillo Orchestra, 1940s Courtesy of Angel and Vilma Delgadillo Jr. Route 66 crossed parts of New Mexico that had long been tourist attractions. Starting in the early 1900s, the Santa Fe Railway promoted the area to wealthy tourists. Fred Harvey Company car tours (“Indian Detours,” the company called them) opened up more of the region. Navajo Indian Trading Post at the Great Divide filling Station, New Mexico, about 1940 Photograph by Ferenz Fedor, courtesy of Museum of New Mexico, neg. no.102015 Dozens of small “Indian trading posts” lined Route 66, selling Indian crafts as well as groceries and other goods.

Why did Europeans want a new route?

Europeans wanted the power and resulting wealth that would come from controlling trade. Finding all- water routes to Asia and its riches would allow European merchants to cut out Middle Eastern middlemen and reap all the profits of eastern trade. Some Europeans were also eager to spread Christianity to nonbelievers.

How did Route 66 emphasize the history and culture of America?

The Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar years all were manifested along Route 66. The highway has come to represent American mobility, independence, and spirit of adventure. Since it was designated as a federal highway in 1926, Route 66 has wound through American history and culture.