Asian and Pacific Islander Americans on Route 66: Ping Tom Park

A line drawing of Ping Tom Park.

Drawing of the pagoda pavilion at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago, Illinois, where Route 66 begins before winding through the city about two miles north of Chicago’s growing Chinatown. Established in 1991, to commemorate this community, the park was named after community leader Mr. Ping Tom in 1998. It continues to be a place of recreation along the Chicago River for the local community.