A Brief History of U.S. Highway 66 and
The Route 66 Association of Missouri
by James R. Powell.
Route 66 was never an ordinary road. On February 4, 1927, the U.S. 66 Highway Association was formed in Tulsa, OK, and the road's lifetime name --
“The Main Street of America” -- was born. It was known over the years by many other names, such as “The Way West”,
“The Will Rogers Highway” and “The Mother Road.” It came to be known as the most magical road in all the world. Even architect
Frank Lloyd Wright once remarked, “Route 66 is a giant chute down which everything loose in this country is sliding into southern California.”
Route 66 was commissioned on November 11, 1926, and was originally 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. (The longest recorded length was
2,499 miles in 1929.) On June 17, 1935, it was extended from downtown Los Angeles to its famous termination point with Alt. U.S. 101, overlooking the
Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. On the same date, 66 was rerouted over the Chain of Rocks Bridge in north St. Louis. And on September 26, 1937,
it was rerouted directly west from Santa Rosa to Albuquerque, NM, bypassing Santa Fe.
Missouri was the third state to completely pave its portion of Route 66, following Illinois and Kansas. On January 5, 1931, the last mile
(FAP 176C – 20' Portland Concrete Cement) of original Route 66 is paved in Phelps County just east of the Pulaski County line near Arlington.
The work crew tosses coins into the wet cement to celebrate the completion. The last section of paving on U.S. 66 between Rolla and Lebanon, which
had been closed for a year during construction, is formally opened to traffic ten days later.
Then, on March 15, 1931, 8,000 people attend a celebration in Rolla of the completion of the paving of Route 66 in Missouri. By mid-1938, Paving is
completed on the last unpaved section of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica in Oldham County, TX between Adrian and Glenrio.
As we think about Route 66, one might remember the “First Annual International -Trans-Continental Foot Race”, or the "Bunion Derby" as it came to be
known. The race started in Los Angeles on March 4, 1928, and covered the entire length of 66 to Chicago, and then went on to Madison Square
Garden in New York, ending on May 26, 1928.
The race, and the first prize of $25,000, is won by Andy Payne, a 20 year-old from Claremore, Oklahoma - a Route 66 town and the stomping ground of
Will Rogers. He covers 3,422.3 miles in 84 days, with an actual running time of 573 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds. (On June 22, 1952, the old Chain
of Rocks Bridge in north St. Louis was the first of eight stops dedicating U.S. 66 as the Will Rogers Highway, as part of a cross-country promotional tour
for the movie “The Story of Will Rogers”.)
And, who can ever forget John Steinbeck's 1939 novel and 1940 movie, “The Grapes of Wrath”, which chronicles the forced westward migration
of the “Okies” from their bank-foreclosed farms through the eyes of the Joad family.
Or Bobby Troup's 1946 hit, “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” (don't forget Winona), and the 1946 book by Jack Rittenhouse, “A Guide Book
to Highway 66” which mile-by-mile describes gas stations, diners and places to see. Then, in the early 60s, another generation learned about Route
66 when Buz and Tod spent 116 TV episodes traveling America in their Corvette.
Route 66 became a destination unto itself. With its caverns and caves, scenic mountains, beautiful canyons and sparkling deserts being heavily promoted
by the U.S. 66 Highway Association, Route 66 became the ultimate road trip. This spawned trading posts, alligator farms, full-service gas stations, grills
with fried chicken, “blue plate specials” and home-made pie, “mom and pop” motor courts, Native American festivals and every other type of tourist traps
known to man.
Unfortunately, with the advent of the interstate system, Route 66 became a victim of its own success. The road was decommissioned piecemeal by the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as interstate construction progressed.
And 66 was completely decertified - the last 1,162 miles - on June 27, 1985, following the by-passing of the last section of old 66 - 5.7 miles through
Williams, Arizona - upon the completion of I-40 on October 13, 1984. The route was "replaced" by Interstates 55, 44, 40, 15 and 10.
As a side note, in December 1962, Missouri petitioned AASHTO, on behalf of all the Route 66 states, to have the interstates renumbered as I-66 from
Chicago to Los Angeles. Needless to say, the request was refused.
Route 66, however, like a stubborn maverick, refused to die. The old road is still with us today, and now is the time for another generation to learn about
and experience this great highway.
To spearhead this effort, Route 66 Associations have been established and are active in all 8 Route 66 states, with a stated mission “to preserve, promote
and develop old Route 66 - The Main Street of America”.
In Missouri, the Route 66 Association of Missouri originated from the efforts of dedicated volunteers who, in the fall of 1989, realized old 66 deserved
recognition and preservation. The Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit Missouri corporation, started on January 13, 1990.
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