Established in 1926, Route 66 ran from Chicago through the midwest to California and was crossed time and time again by the mysterious traveler, the American family, and the young adventurer. When the road was replace by the Interstate Highway System in 1985 the whole country was sad and disappointed to see such a historical staple of American history ripped apart.
The road brought business to many small filling stations, motels, and diners – and served as the refuge and path for many people traveling west during the Great Depression. When the freeways began taking over it greatly affected economic development and caused existing businesses to go under.
Route 66 was also the road to escape and the road that took the dreamers of the small towns in the midwest to the glamorous west coast, where dreams really did come true. They didn’t need a map, they just followed Route 66 until they reached the Pacific, where they could wash away the past and start anew.
The hit song, “Route 66″, first made famous by Nat King Cole told all Americans to “get your kicks on route sixty-six” – the road has been a part of pop culture ever since and considered the ultimate road trip. A portion of the road taken from Oklahoma is preserved in the National Museum of American History.
