By Suzanne
Norquist
I never noticed
the historic Route 66 highway until I moved to a town that's proud of its
Route 66 heritage.
Now I see it
everywhere. The animated Cars movies use a section of the old road for
inspiration. There was a television series and a song about it. It was featured
in The Grapes of Wrath. Even the Phillips 66 gas stations were named
after the highway.
So, I looked into the history. Before there was a national network of numbered highways, various farm roads and trails connected towns. The idea of a cross-country highway system came earlier than I expected and from a surprising source.
In 1875, bicycle riders began to clamor for better roads. By 1892, they formed the
National League of Good Roads.
Farmers
joined forces with the cyclists. Better roads would allow them to bring goods
to market. Surprisingly, railroads also supported the cause. People and goods
needed reliable thoroughfares to get to the train stations.
In 1925, the government executed its plan for national highway construction. In 1926, the Chicago to Los Angeles route was designated Route 66. By 1938, it's paving had been completed.
Tourist facilities
sprouted up along the route; service stations, restaurants, and overnight accommodations.
Route 66 was decommissioned in 1984. Interstate highways replaced some sections. Others remain as frontage roads through towns. Remnants of the infrastructure and culture provide reminders of an icon in American culture.
Wouldn't it be fun to drive the full historic route from Chicago to Los Angeles, just like the
Griswolds in National Lampoons Vacation (although they don’t name the road)?
***
“Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection
Four
historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.
Mending
Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist
Rockledge,
Colorado, 1884
Sarah
seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her
dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her
customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects
her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through
other means. But will his efforts only push her farther away?
For
a Free Preview, click here: http://a.co/1ZtSRkK
She authors a
blog entitled, Ponderings of a BBQ Ph.D.
Thanks for the post on Route 66. I've long been fascinated by the thought of seeking out the remaining bits of the famous road, but in this stage of life I really don't enjoy travel. We may try to fix that with shorter road trips now that I am retired, so I will still carry the thought of maybe seeing some of the road.
ReplyDeleteThere are some fun bits in Arizona. Guidebooks are fun too. You can be an armchair traveler.
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