Author's Note~ This is a research essay on Route 66. I got the idea from reading the book Thou Shall Not Road Trip.
Route 66 goes from the shores of
Lake Michigan and ends up at the shores of the Pacific ocean, Chicago to Los
Angeles, 2,400 miles and one great journey.
People say that their journey on Route 66 can change lives, and it sure
did when it was in its hay day. The
creation of Route 66 revolutionized the way we travel today and the movement of
thousands west and created America’s heart and soul, Route 66.
Before
In 1857 congress commissioned Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald
Beale to chart a wagon trail from Fort Defiance to the border of New Mexico and
The Colorado river. This turned out to
be a big asset in war down south. Thoughts about creating this coast to coast
highway became purposed in 1912 and it was thought to go from Washington D.C.
and end up in San Diego.
Plans changed and entrepreneurs John Woodruf and Cyrus Avery
receive most credit for the creation of a road linking L.A. and Chicago
together. By the summer of 1926 Route 66
became one of America’s east-west highways.
The road planners planned for route 66 to connect rural towns and to
have route 66 be the main connection between this rural cities and their access
to main cities. This also gave these
rural cities more income as people were traveling through them.
First 20 Years
First launched in 1926 it actually took 12 more years for
every part of Route 66 to be paved. The
lodging and food industries expanded significantly in the first years and gave
an outside revenue to some small rural communities that needed it. The road also served as a way for farmers to
transport grain and move their goods.
This road also moved truckers onto it primarily because of the better
climate and weather than the northern east-west roads.
From 1933-1938 there were thousands of unemployed men
working on the road and they worked really hard so by 1938 every part of the
road was paved. As the depression kept
on hitting America the small restaurants on the highway or small little shops
turned out to make a decent profit and the shops farther away on less traveled
roads were hurting. You can see how the
road affected the lives of small business owners and their businesses.
Right before World War 2 the U.S. government had built air
force and army bases right of the road.
This helped us fight because we had an easy fast link out and we could
attack or move soldiers around quicker using the highway instead of back
roads. Also this helped us if people
wanted to go west and see someone they knew in the army they could have easy
access to the base for quicker travel.
The creation of this road also helped us create one of the
best mobilization methods in the world.
We were able to have trucks move all around moving tons of equipment to
the coasts during the Pearl Harbor attacks.
After The War
One of the most common things that come up to mind when you
think about Route 66 are, “Get your kicks on Route 66”. This was actually part of a lyrical map
created by Robert William Troup, Jr.
This became a catch phrase for motorists traveling on the road from
Chicago to Los Angeles.
Population out west expanded by 25%
over the first 25 years and most of California’s population was to come in the
next 30 years. Now the road was used by
more tourists and store owners also noticed that even the poorest travelers
still needed the necessities. The war
provided income but once travelers were the main customers shops we able to
modernize and guarantee long term financial stability.
As travelers headed west or east they were treated to great
views and many small town atmosp-
hers. You also knew
that each gas station or motel you saw on your drive you knew each one had
great caring people there.
A Quick Downfall
Starting in 1941 the need for a new highway system was
obvious. The wear and tear the war had
on the road was obvious and the road needed major improvements. Thomas MacDonald, (director of Public Roads
Administration) said that about 78,000 miles of road needed to be repaired
after the war. MacDonald had suggested
an east-west highway connecting all the major cities.
With the need of a east-west highway, Interstate 40 west,
would go from the Oklahoma City through the Texas panhandle and all the way to
western California. This replaced a
major, famous stretch of route 66 and led to its demise. Each state would put anywhere from 14 to 20
million dollars to their chunk of the highway.
1985 was the official year, Route 66 was
decommissioned. Many people who
understood how significant Route 66 was to our country’s history, wanted to
commemorate and preserve the highway. As
a result of the push to remember Route 66 many states put historic signs
remembering people where the highway was, or they would make a scenic bypass
for travelers to see the old restaurants and gas stations.
In 1990 the National Park Service issued a study to tell us
how significant Route 66 was to us and our countries growth. As we look back on Route 66 we will get a
flashback of history. America’s heart
and soul, Route 66, revolutionized they way we travel today as well as the
movement of thousands west.
Bibliography
"Route 66 Overview--Route 66: A Discover
Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013.
<http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/Rou
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