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Route 66
History - 1961 to Present
Demise of Interest
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. Automobile
production jumped from just over 65,000 cars in 1945 to 3.9 million in
1948. Meanwhile, the national highway system had deteriorated to an
appalling condition. Virtually all roads were functionally obsolete
because of narrow pavements and antiquated structural features that
reduced carrying capacity.
Emergency road building measures developed during wartime left bridges and
culverts woefully inadequate for postwar needs. During the 1940s most
bridges in Illinois and Missouri used wood as a substitute for steel.
Steel reinforcements were virtually nonexistent in concrete pavement, and
sporadic maintenance left U.S. 66 and other highways riddled with potholes
and gaping fissures.
The
need for a modern system of national highways, while painfully obvious,
was not a novel idea. In February 1941 Thomas MacDonald, director of the
Public Roads Administration, told of the urgency for improved highways
across the country in his report, "Highway For the National Defense."
MacDonald estimated that 78,000 miles of roads and highways vital to the
war effort needed improvements. The director estimared the cost for
maintenance and repair to be $458 million. In anticipation of postwar
traffic needs, MacDonald proposed a transcontinental expressway not to
exceed 40,000 miles, designed to connect all of the major metropolitan
centers in the United States. The Interregional Highway Committee,
President Roosevelt's advisory group on national defense highways, adopted
the so-called MacDonald Plan with the recommendation that $500 million be
allocated over three years to implement the interstate highway system.
National defense priorities during the war, however, tabled MacDonald's
proposal until the surrender of Germany and Japan. The Federal Aid Highway
Act of 1944 incorporated both civilian and military highway needs into a
single piece of legislation. In essence, the act became the legal
embodiment of the MacDonald Plan. The act preserved the idea of a
40,000-mile national system of interstate highways, but Congress failed to
appropriate funds specifically designated for its construction. Not until
the 1950s, and the War Department's prediction that the Korean Conflict
was merely a prelude to a more widespread involvement in Asia, did the
dream of an interstate system of expressways linking all regions of the
United States become reality.
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-1950s. Mass federal sponsorship for an
interstate system of divided highways markedly increased with Dwight D.
Eisenhower's second term in the White House. General Eisenhower had
returned from Germany very impressed by the strategic value of Hitler's
Autobahn. "During World War II," he recalled later, "I saw the superlative
system of German national highways crossing that country and offering the
possibility, often lacking in the United States, to drive with speed and
safety at the same time." Heightened global tension hastened by the Cold
War affirmed Eisenhower's resolve to improve the defense capabilities of
the nation's highways.
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 underwrite the cost of the national interstate and
defense highway system. In accordance with the terms of the legislation.
the major segment of U.S. 66 running west from Oklahoma City, the Texas
Panhandle, New Mexico, northern Arizona, to Barstow, California, would be
replaced by Interstate 40. By 1960 each of the states along original U.S.
66 expended from $14 million to $20 million to construct their portions of
the interstate, which was designed to accommodate 1975 traffic
projections. The 1960s were perhaps the period of the most comprehensive
federal-state expenditures for the new interstate system.
By
1970 the remaining segments of original Route 66 were replaced by two,
equally modern four-lane highways Interstate 55 between Chicago and St.
Louis and Interstate 44, which absorbed the old diagonal section from St.
Louis to Oklahoma City. On June 26, 1979, the American Association of
State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) accepted the
recommendation to eliminate the designation of Route 66. The committee
noted that "U.S. 66 markings no longer served as a through-state guide to
tourists, but in fact generated confusion because the route coin- cided
with interstate designations over much of its length." Many of the states
along the route pledged to preserve some symbol of the historic highway
with signs reading "OId U.S. 66."
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 county roads to a federally subsidized complex of uniform,
well-designed interstate expressways. Various alignments, many of which
are still detectable, illustrate the evolution of road engineering from
coexistence with the surrounding landscape to domination of it. One
outstanding example of the highway in its early form is the 3.5 mile
section near Miami, Oklahoma, estimated to have been constructed between
1919 and 1924. While many of the original segments of Route 66 have been
either abandoned or modified for secondary use, modern improvements such
as widened shoulders, adequate swales, gentler curves, resurfaced
pavement, and brightly painted safety stripes cannot keep the highway from
becoming obsolete.
Route
66 symbolized the renewed spirit of optimism that pervaded the country
after economic catastrophe and global war. U.S. Highway 66 linked a remote
and under-populated region with two vital 20th-century cities Chicago and
Los Angeles. In doing so it etched an imprint on America that bridged a
once inhospitable frontier beginning a transformation into an urban oasis.
The automobile equipped with all of the modern conveniences of air-
conditioning and stereophonic sound provided relative comfort to millions
of Americans seeking greater social and economic mobility.
The
outdated poorly maintained vestiges of U.S. Highway 66 succumbed to the
interstate system in October 1984 when the final section of the original
road was replaced by Interstate 40 at Williams Arizona. As the highway
nears its 70th birthday in 1996, its contribution to the region as well as
the nation must be evaluated in the broader context of American social and
cultural history. The appearance of U.S. Highway 66 on the American scene
coincided with unparalleled economic strife and global instability that
hastened the most comprehensive westward movement in United States
history. Like the early trails of the late 19th century. Route 66 helped
to spirit a second and perhaps more permanent mass relocation of
Americans. One indisputable result of its construction was the
transformation of the far west from a rural frontier to a metropolitan
region.
The Visitor Experience: Cruisin'
Route 66
Route 66 is many things to many people. Each
individual tends to experience the road differently. There is a spirit, a
feeling, that resides along this highway. The spirit of Route 66 lives in
the people and their stories, the views and structures, and travelers'
perceptions of them along the route. To gain an understanding of Route 66
and the spirit of Route 66, there is no substitute for driving the
highway.
When
Route 66 was decommissioned and its signs were removed, the ability of
drivers to easily find Route 66 was lost. To help people locate the road,
several states have installed Historic Route 66 signs along portions of
the road. These signs do not typically appear on interstate highway exits,
do not usually give directions, and are often stolen for souvenirs.
Finding Route 66 can be an adventure and a challenge requiring a good
sense of direction, several maps and guidebooks, a navigator, and patience
to decipher the highway's various alignments. Recently published guides to
the highway and publications by state Route 66 associations are available.
The
experience of Route 66 is formed by the travelers and the people, sights,
sounds, and tastes they encounter. The surroundings are constantly
changing, and there is a sense of mystery about what lies around the bend.
Regional differences in rural landscapes and natural features figure
prominently in the experience, as do small towns and cities. However, the
Route 66 experience lies less in the individual scenes than in their
association with the road. The following is only one of many possible
experiences and interpretations of the people, places, and vistas that can
be found driving Route 66.
Starting at the interstate off-ramp, Route 66 transports drivers into the
countryside, where they slow down and become aware of the road's texture
and rhythm. The scenery comes into focus the shape of the land, the
plants, the farms, the industry, the communities, the people, the life.
The road follows the natural topography of the land, which makes the
horizon appear closer and more intimate. Distance is measured by the
number of towns, sights, and people encountered. The driver is both
spectator and participant, ready for the road.
Driving through the woodlands of Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas is like
driving through a continuous rural community, punctuated periodically by
small towns. Travelers can almost always see houses and barns.
Settlements, towns, and cities blend into one another across wooded and
gently rolling hills and valleys. In rural areas there is a feeling of
being surrounded by lush green foliage. Creek and river crossings are
commonplace, and many noteworthy bridges are still in use. Along the road,
in various states of repair and operation, are reminders of the route in
its heyday the Coral Court, Chicken Basket, Dixie Truckers Home, Cozy Dog
Drive Inn, Park In Theater, Abbylee Court, Tri-County Truck Stop, and
Funk's Grove, to name a few.
Cultivated fields and pastures, occasionally separated by hedgerows, line
many of the rural road sections for as far as the eye can see. The road,
field, and sky meet at the horizon, bounded by an endless stream of
telephone poles. There are few surprises here. Grain elevators loom in the
distance, and roads are flat and straight. Everything seems to conform to
the straight, the square, and the parallel.
Competition for motorists' attention along Route 66 brought billboards and
flashing neon signs that displayed messages in huge, gaudy letters, often
outshining the actual attraction. Images of folksy hillbillies,
lumberjacks, rustic architecture, and down-home cooking were immortalized.
Meramec Caverns, a genuine attraction, advertised throughout the region on
rooftops and barns. Over time, the painted advertisements themselves
became regional landmarks.
Route
66 can be hard to follow through Chicago and St. Louis. Surrounded now by
development, office parks, and malls, these remnants, like the Del Rhea
Chicken Basket and Ted Drewes' Frozen Custard, seem disconnected, yet
continue to thrive. Others have gone the way of the Coral Court, now
closed despite its being on the National Register of Historic Places.
Heading west through Oklahoma, Texas, and eastern New Mexico there is an
obvious transition between Midwest and West, between land that is arable,
lush, and green and land that is grazed and sparsely vegetated. Forests
are left behind and trees grow only here and there. Oil pumps bow with
hypnotic regularity, silently counting underground wealth. Cattle chutes
and holding pens are next to the railroad tracks that serve them. Hazy,
obstructed views give way to a sky so expansive it seems to level
everything beneath it. Even the arc of Route 66 flattens out into a
straight line.
Towns
are often separated by miles of fields and fenced rangeland. Solid brick
and stone storefronts face each other across the highway that is their
main street. While a depressed economy has inadvertently saved many of the
important structures along the road from demolition, some are now boarded
up, giving main streets a deserted feeling. Oriented to the highway, they
await better times.
Cowboys and Indians, steak and potatoes, oil and Cadillacs, and Will
Rogers are all frequently seen on signs, place mats, and postcards
promoting the region. Some roadside entrepreneurs have gone to such
extremes that their advertisements are the primary appeal not their
product or attraction. Billboards announced rattlesnake pits in the 1940s
and 50s, but seeking their ruins today can be an adventure.
Today, such handmade wonders as the Blue Whale and Galloway's Totem Poles
can be considered monuments to tourist attraction. They also represent
automobile-scale folk art and reflect the ingenuity and imagination of
their makers. Local efforts have been made to maintain some of these, and
despite being closed and/or fenced off, Route 66 buffs continue to pay
their respects.
In
Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Amarillo, a few early art deco buildings stand
amid glass and chrome skyscrapers. These cities held some of the last
portions of Route 66 to be bypassed by the interstates, and some
businesses maintain an association with the road even though the
surrounding neighborhoods may not.
In
western New Mexico and eastern Arizona, Route 66 dips, curves, and winds
across arid rangeland, American Indian reservations, and national forests
to the edge of the Mojave Desert. Much of the rural landscape has been
grazed by cattle, sheep, and horses for centuries. Average annual rainfall
is under 20 inches. Livestock grazing is the predominant land use. Barbed
wire fences are everywhere. Windmills mark stock tanks where livestock and
wildlife come to drink. These, along with railroad tracks and telephone
poles, are often the only reminders of human habitation. This is a land
where distant mesas and mountains can appear nearby in the clear, dry air.
Locations for towns were determined by topography and availability of
water and are usually separated by many miles.
Once beyond the large towns or cities, there
are few signs, few fences and paved roads, and fewer delineations of
private property. Some new tourist attractions such as the Route 66 Diner
in Albuquerque and tribally owned bingo parlors and discount centers are
beginning to appear. Most towns have a distinct downtown or business
district, but interstate-era strip development has grown up around them.
The
expansive views and unusual land formations coupled with the cultural
diversity of the area give this region its reputation for mystery and
magic. Businesses along Route 66 have exploited that allure and attempted
to make it more appealing to the public. Trading posts, even those located
on reservation land, cater to tourists. Cow skulls, silhouettes of howling
coyotes, wooden Indians, tepees and rubber tomahawks, and cactus jelly
have come to represent the southwest region to travelers. Rock shops sell
Apache tears, petrified wood, and desert roses. Today, nostalgia for these
regional souvenirs is a large part of the appeal of the roadside
attractions.
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Gallup, and Flagstaff are national centers for
American Indian trade and exhibitions. Evidence of both American Indian
and Spanish roots is everywhere, from the names and faces to the
architecture and food. Route 66 is the main drag through them all, and
many well-known traders, galleries, restaurants, and museums remain
side-by-side with the railroads and reservations.
The
Mojave Desert dominates the western Arizona and eastern California section
of Route 66. To Dust Bowl and Depression-era travelers, this section of
Route 66 must have seemed a cruel joke, a final test of their
determination to reach California. Cars no longer have to be towed or
driven backwards up Sitgreaves Pass between Seligman and Kingman, but this
legendary piece of highway that twists and turns across rangeland and
desert, past ruined mines and tourist camps, is still daunting. Likewise,
driving the 150 or so miles of Mojave Desert from Needles to Barstow gives
a real sense of its size and of the fear that crossing it inspired.
Services are scanty. Though the road can seem endless with little respite
from extremes of heat and cold, its function as a connector and an
economic lifeline continues. For most of this stretch, the road is a well
preserved two-lane, and the impact of the interstates can be forgotten.
The silent desert feels eternal and the views of canyons, buttes, and
snow- capped mountains are unspoiled.
From
Seligman to Barstow, settlements and towns often shimmer in heat waves
radiating from hot pavement. Route 66 frequently follows the railroad that
was this area's first lifeline. Seligman has always been proud of Route 66
and is a headquarters for road buffs.
Much of Route 66 in downtown Kingman is part
of a commercial historic district. In Oatman attractions as dissimilar as
tame burros and the honeymoon hotel room of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
lure tourists to stop and walk the streets of this picturesque western
ghost town. Between Needles and Barstow stone graffiti is scrawled between
the highway and the railroad. Rusted shells of automobiles, shacks, and
abandoned gas stations are scattered along the road. A here today, gone
tomorrow feeling lingers in the dry air. Once over Cajon Pass, Route 66
winds through the arid mountain landscape next to barricaded and overgrown
sections of an older alignment. Along the way to San Bernardino, a few
dilapidated tourist cabins, garages and cafes are slowly turning to dust.
The
advertising images popular in this region include bleached bones,
vultures, rattlesnakes, cactus, palm trees, burros and gold prospectors.
Promotional strategies swing from the understated to the miraculous. The
role of the desert as a place to test religious faith also appears.
Biblical quotes and beliefs in eternity, peace, and love are expressed on
hand-lettered signs and menus, in roadside graffiti, and on murals.
The
last leg of Route 66 to the Pacific coast has undergone the most change.
Once famous for its wide boulevards and manicured landscapes, Los Angeles
has now become a megalopolis laced with freeways and parking lots.
Drive-ins, shopping malls, and housing developments have largely replaced
the vineyards and orange groves that once separated these communities.
Still, an occasional 1940s or 50s drive-in theater, motor court, or
service station provides a brief look into the past.
One
important element of Route 66 is the people who live and work along the
highway. These people have faced the challenges of everyday life along the
road and have enriched the experiences of travelers who stopped for gas,
food, or lodging. They offer Route 66 memorabilia, the latest version of a
green chili burger, or a room for the night. In addition, they may tell
stories of the last Route 66 association cruise that came through or when
the next one is due: they may tell what Route 66 has meant to their town
or area; they may talk about Mickey Mantle, Will Rogers, Garth Brooks, or
some other well-known person who came from a town along Route 66; they may
recommend sights or attractions; they will probably remark on how things
used to be and how they are now: and they may joke about getting your
kicks on Route 66.
Much
of the current formal interpretation of Route 66 heritage focuses on the
automobile touring experience of the 1950s and 1960s. Local and regional
history organizations have produced exhibits in their museums that display
road-related artifacts and depict this era. Various Route 66 organizations
sponsor automobile caravan tours or "cruises." Tour companies have offered
organized bus tours of Route 66, and bicycle tours are becoming popular.
The
highway can tell many more stories than those of the 1950s and 1960s.
Route 66 has an infinite number of insights into the history, people, and
places along its course. The stories of this road range from the science
and technology of road building to personal remembrances of individuals
who have traveled the highway. Properly preserved, presented, and
integrated, Route 66 and its resources could bring these stories to life.
Text portions courtesy of the
National Park Service
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