On November 11, 1926, a classic was created. It is a classic that endured and has transcended it’s official end in 1985. In many ways it is still with us today.
So, what prompted Route 66 to be a classic? Was it the well-regarded John Steinbeck book “The Grapes of Wrath”? Perhaps it was the song by Bobby Troupe or the Martin Milner television show from the 1960’s. Maybe it was the movie with the simple name of “Cars”. Whatever the source of its popularity in American pop culture, US 66 is a highway traveled by many Curbside Classics.
The original US 66 ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was sometimes referred to as the “Diagonal Highway” due to its southwesterly direction from Chicago to Oklahoma City. For the most part, only isolated segments of the old highway remain. In my home state of Missouri, the old road generally runs quite close to I-44.
I am quite fortunate my occupation carries me to many locations throughout the central portion of the state. In this area, many disjointed segments of what had been US 66, from Philipsburg to Bourbon, are still intact. Some are still state highways, albeit with different route names.
So when at the western end of this segment recently, I had an idea: What can one find along this small sample of the Mother Road? After driving a few sections of it, here is some of what I found.
Outside of Lebanon, there is a gentleman who is offering up some wagons one could cruise down the old highway in. If you were industrious enough. He had many more machines of similar condition for sale.
Closing in on Ft. Leonard Wood, this old Studebaker was lurking out beside someone’s house.
This residence has a couple of future classics parked out front. For some reason, I just couldn’t resist.
Cuba has taken the Route 66 popularity in full stride, even having murals all over town with a Route 66 theme. WikiTravel stated there is an ever increasing car show there every September. This hotel is still in business and appears to have been refreshed in the recent past. While the old Chevrolet is looking pretty sad, it does have a certain rustic charisma.
The motel rooms share the stone construction. Built for the long haul.
The Dodge was found less than a block off the road. In our current world of endless crew cab pickups, seeing one of this age reminds you that crew cabs used to be quite the rarity.
Having seen it parked in this area several times, it appears to still be in daily use.
At this time I have only driven portions of the area from Philipsburg to Bourbon. There is still much more to go both between these two towns and outside of these two towns. New discoveries and adventures await.
There were quite a few of those Dodge crew-cabs painted in Navy gray at the government establishment where I worked. That one looks to be Air Force blue – I’ll bet it is ex-military, or at least ex-civil-service; I think the Feds were the main buyers for those.
The Grapes of Wrath and Cars happen to be on my all time favourite movies list. Thanks for the real-life photographs to go with my imagination.
A bit more information about US-66 (and the other US highways from 1926 for that matter): http://us-highways.com/early66.htm
It was originally meant to be US-60 until the governor of Kentucky complained about not having a US-x0 in his state. US-x0s and US-x1s were meant to be the primary routes; hence why US-101 is on the west coast. Then, US-62 was supposed to be a replacement number for it, but the Chicago-LA highway boosters complained. US-66 was the compromise number.
I’ve taken Rt. 66 thru Oklahoma City to Kingsman. It’s beautiful out there and almost no traffic when you’re away from the bigger cities. Everything’s more interesting than the same old repetitive franchised crap that we all see on Interstates and only a little bit of time lost, four days instead of three. Highly recommended.
As a Gallupian let me post this image and let me say someday I intend to travel the entire length of the Mother Road (well as much of it as possible) in a vehicle that can be designated a classic.
Again a reminder to get that B-body while you still can…
Depending on how much of this site you’ve read, it might be a Chrysler M-body, or a Panther, or a 2nd generation H-body, or…
Analysis paralysis.
Sometimes I feel like I’m Jack Baruth but my lust extends most strongly to cars while his extends most strongly to women.
Once had t dream to travel it in my 57. Alas, life interrupted.
In the early 70s I visited my girlfriend in Zuni, NM a number of times in my Fiat 128 (say 4200 rpm all day long at 75 mph). Before I-40 was completed, Rt 66 was the only way to go. A natural stop for me was Tumcumcari, NM.
Hundreds of miles east of Tumcumcari one began to see billboards and hear advertising on the radio for motels in Tumcumcari. The tiny town had about 3400 motel rooms and a whole bunch of drive-through liquor stores.
The large amount of motels meant that competition was high and prices were low. My favorite motel (can’t remember the name) was one of the first joints on the east side of town. It advertised singles for $9.95. When I asked for a single the desk clerk told me they were all taken but he would charge me the single rate for a double if I didn’t mess up the second bed. Done deal. The room was immaculately clean. Just across the parking lot was a coin wash laundry. By the time I had returned from the drive-through liquor store and the Kentucky Fried Chicken, my wash was ready for the drier.
A quick beer and the wash was ready to be rescued. I normally hit Tumcumcari on Monday night, which meant I could enjoy my KFC and beer while watching Monday Nite Football on CABLE! Life just didn’t get much better. Yes, it was better than the girlfriend.
“…my Fiat 128 (say 4200 rpm all day long at 75 mph”
You mean a Fiat actually ran that long back then?
I wrote a column on Route 66 back in 2006. Nice to see another view on the Mother Road. Well done, Jack.
Here’s my column if you would care to read it:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2241/where-is-route-66
I enjoyed reading your column. Here’s something that might interest you. It’s a pdf of every state map in Missouri since 1926. Not sure what other states might have, if anything.
http://modot.mo.gov/historicmaps/index.htm
A local community tv show on classic cars has done the Route 66 trip a couple of times, it is interesting to see both the decay and the car & road-related museums, memorabilia, themed motels/diners etc.
Not sure I would do the entire route if/when I get to the states, you can’t see everything, but I’m sure at least part of it would fit in. A couple of years ago I did a trip to the UK with my father, we basically did a lap of the country staying in small towns, seeing the sites as well as taking in a couple of things such as Goodwood Festival of Speed & historic races at Silverstone. It was a fantastic experience and I’d like to do something similar in the US one day.
That Dodge Power Wagon looks like it could have been an air force vehicle if the blue would have been ultramarine blue. We had lots of them.
Being from the St. Louis area, I traveled with mom and dad on Rte. 66 quite often on Sunday drives, and later, used to spend time on it as it transitioned to I-44, as a friend lived in Times Beach, about 35 miles from my house. We ate at the original Diamonds restaurant near Pacific and a little over 20 years ago ate at the newer Diamonds. The original was turned into a truck stop. Not sure it it’s still around. EDIT: It’s gone.
Rte. 66 is pretty much intact through Illinois, and when I used to ride the trains between STL and Chicago on business and with family, the old road follows the rails.
Funny thing about the U.S. highway system is the experimental stuff they did to the roads by adding curbs similar to ones you see in suburbia. The theory was that if a driver began to veer off the road, the curb would catch the tire and “gently” move the car back in its lane. The opposite was true – the car generally went out of control and often wrapped itself around a tree or head-on into an opposing driver. Nasty accidents. Add to that the “suicide” or passing center lane on two-lane stretches that were heavily traveled. White knuckes on Dad’s hands and eyes big as biscuits on us as he was trying to pass someone before hitting his opposite number trying to do the same thing – playing chicken. Glad those features are history!
In military speak the Dodge Power Wagon was known as a “6 pak”.
I lived in Kingman from ’94-’96 and then did overnights in Kingman as part of a flight crew in the Quality Inn on Andy Devine (Route 66) from ’02-’05. Route 66 was/is such an integral part of Kingman’s identity that I couldn’t imagine Kingman being the same without it. The large Route 66 museum converted from the old power station is a great place to visit. The drive from Kingman to Oatman and beyond on Route 66 is beautiful and rugged. Yes, Kingman has highway 93 from Vegas to Phoenix cut through it, as well as I-40. But Route 66 is what makes Kingman today.
In the summer of 1965 (at about the age of 6) I got to take a trip on Route 66. My dad was in California on business, and the plan was for my grandma to ride with my mom and us 2 kids out there from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Grandma had a couple of sisters in California, and she would eventually take a train back while Dad drove back with us.
I remember some of the trip. We had a 1964 Cutlass two door hardtop. Dark green vinyl seats and no air. My sister got sick somewhere and we spent a couple of days in one of those little pink and white motels along the route. There were lots of little roadside attractions that grabbed kids’ attention and we would occasionally convince mom to stop for one of them.
I would love to take what is left of the route again someday. Thanks for a nice piece on the old road.
This road should have been preserved for the uniquely American icon that it is, instead of being allowed to fragment and decay into its current state. The wasted opportunity is galling beyond words. 🙁
I’m preaching to the choir, here, but the above bears repeating, yes?
From what I’ve seen parts are preserved, which makes the contrast to the decay & abandoned buildings so much more evocative. I saw one diner on the show I mentioned earlier still with all the furniture & fittings in it, as if the owners just decided to up and walk out the door one day. I suppose it is a sign of the small town it was in that it had not been vandalised and looted.
I like Missouri. Bootheel FTW!
Sadly there is a lot of America that is being allowed to decay.
http://abandonedamerica.us/gallery.html
Bootheel? I was born in Cape Girardeau and grew up in the area.
Cool, I worked near Sikeston for about 6 months around 10 years ago. I was on a first name basis with the Drury Inn staff…