National Trust for Historic Preservation
Dennis Hockman
Created in 1926 by linking a series of roughly east-west pre-existing roads and trails, Route 66 was originally established to provide a direct, year-round connection between the Midwest and the Pacific Coast.
Passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, the highway eased the transportation of goods, encouraged domestic tourism, and further facilitated large-scale settlement of the West. By 1938, it became one of the first interstate highways in the country to be completely paved.
The great connector
Big cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles were more connected, and with more and more people traveling the road, communities along the route flourished.
Jack Rabbit Trading Post on Route 66 by David KaferNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Culture meets kitsch
Gas stations, motels, mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and roadside attractions sprouted up along the empty stretches of road between towns.
During the route’s heyday, it exposed travelers to everything from internationally significant places like Chicago’s majestic skyline and Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch in St. Louis to unique, attention-grabbing structures like a tilted water tower dubbed “The Leaning Tower of Texas” and the world’s largest catsup bottle in Collinsville, Illinois.
Tourism to the rescue
But when new interstates ultimately bypassed the old road altogether, many small businesses were forced to close. Of those that remained, many placed bets on the promise of tourism—doubling down on quirk and curiosity.
Decommissioned in 1985, Route 66 remains a pop culture icon of titanic proportions. The lure of the open road draws travelers from around the planet, and road trip adventures have been popularized in film, fiction, television, and song.
Today, nostalgia beckons...
And despite a return to its origins as a hodgepodge of secondary highways and local routes, a trip down memory lane is still possible for anyone willing to spend the time mapping out directions.
And business stays afloat
“Although it is no longer an official U.S. highway,” says Amy Webb, a senior field director with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “in many of the smaller towns, Route 66 is still the biggest economic generator.”
"Roadies" en route
Today, although it’s true that U.S. Route 66 no longer officially exists, that’s just a technicality. The people won’t let its spirit die. Route 66 devotees known as “roadies,” business owners, historians, and entire towns maintain and shape the Mother Road’s lore.
Airstream (2018) by David KaferNational Trust for Historic Preservation
It's the friends you make along the way
The places on Route 66 compose a quirky, complicated, brightly hued slice of Americana. Giant dinosaurs, Paul Bunyan statues, neon signs, and a tilted water tower capture the world’s imagination, but the people you meet are the real story.
Learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation's campaign to preserve Route 66, sign our petition to advocate for the Mother Road, and then share your Route 66 story with us.
Explore other stories on the Mother Road
Volunteers Revive an Old Trading Post on Route 66
Delgadillo's Dream
Adapted by Tim O'Donnell from Traveling Route 66: Reflections From One of the World's Most Fabled Stretches of Blacktop by Dennis Hockman.
Dennis Hockman is editor in chief of Preservation magazine.
Tim O'Donnell is a former editor at Preservation magazine and freelance journalist who covers architecture and urban design.
This story is made possible by the generosity of David and Julia Uihlein.
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