Cyrus Stevens Avery

Route 66 was born during the 1920's, from an expressed desire to improve the road network, mostly in the West, where it was an archaic hodge-podge of tracks trails, lanes and paths established over time by the Indians and Pioneers. 66 was created by Cyrus Stevens Avery, a businessman from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He had the idea of joining the Middle West to California, and passing the Route through his home state of Oklahoma to promote local economic development.

On November 26, 1926 after long discussions, Cyrus Avery's Route became Route 66.

In 1934, sand storms and drought drove millions from The Dust Bowl onto the Route in the direction of California, with the cry of "California or bust". John Steinbeck recounted this period in 1939 with the Joad family in "The Grapes of Wrath". He identifies Route 66 as "the Mother Road". The Route was to become a legend.

By 1938, the paving of the road form Chicago to Los Angeles was completed.

Bobby Troup

During and after the war, Americans - both civilians and soldiers - traveled from East to West. One of them, Bobby Troup, wrote " Get Your Kicks on Route 66" while traveling the Route with his wife. When he got to Los Angeles, he sold the song to Nat King Cole. The Route brought him good luck and fame. Development, progress, technology, and cars incite Americans to take to the road. On, 66 which was too narrow, accidents were numerous.

Ghost town

 

In 1956, the Interstate Highway Act heralds the replacement of the old roads by Interstate Highways with several lanes, inspired by the German Autobahns which American troops had noted were efficient during the war. The Interstate was the death knell for many small towns situated between the larger cities. If there wasn't an exit, the town would die. Some would soon ressemble the ghost towns from the era of the Wild West.

 

"Route 66" - tv series

The 1960's: Route 66 is so popular that CBS devotes a TV series to it, "Route 66", where the two heroes are the proud owners of a Corvette. Designed in 1954, this mythical Chevrolet model becomes the emblem of the Route. In 1993, aware of the revival of interest in 66, NBC launched a TV series where two new heroes inherit a Corvette and leave in search of adventure.

By 1985, Williams (Arizona) is the final town to be bypassed as Interstate 40 is completed. It's no longer necessary to travel any part of Route 66 to reach the pacific from Chicago. It took five Interstate to replace the Mother Road : I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15 and I-10. It's possibly this final condemnation which has jogged the memories of thousands of Americans, for whom 66 has a particular significance. Associations were formed, 66 signs spring up again, the press takes an interest, travellers with more time prefer this route where there are always surprise meetings in store. That's all it takes, 66 is reborn. It will soon become the responsibility of the National Parks Administration, and classed as an "historic monument" to be preserved for the delight of all those, who, according to Michael Wallis "find the time holy".