Route 66: The Mother Road Turns 100

A winding gray ribbon of memories stretches 2,448 miles from the neon glow of Chicago to the salty breeze of Santa Monica. This year, that ribbon joins the century club. Established in 1926 as a cornerstone of the United States Numbered Highway System, Route 66 (famously dubbed the “Mother Road”) was never just a strip of asphalt; it was the very pulse of a westward-bound nation.

Herald News: March 9, 2024

By the 1920s, automobile ownership was exploding. Americans felt the irresistible pull of the open road, though exploring it meant navigating a chaotic patchwork of privately marked auto trails. Recognizing the need for a unified national network of roads, Congress authorized a system of numbered highways in 1925. Because these roads were funded and maintained by individual states, early driving standards varied wildly, but the foundation for modern American travel was laid.

US 66 opened in 1926 and became a major route of westward migration. In the 1930s, when severe drought and choking dust storms ravaged the Great Plains, the harsh weather combined with the economic devastation of the Great Depression sent refugees westward in search of jobs and new homes. California became a popular destination, and Route 66 was the direct line to get there.

The High Point Enterprise: August 14, 2017

As the decades rolled on, the road evolved into a time capsule of Americana. It became a corridor of neon-lit diners, gravity-defying roadside attractions, vintage filling stations, and mom-and-pop motels, all vying for tourist dollars. Route 66 set the stage for a million childhood summers, where the soundtrack was the rush of wind cooling a hot car, and the entertainment was sticking a hand out the window to feel the invisible pull of aerodynamic lift against your palm.

However, in 1956, the Federal-Aid Highway Act changed the American landscape once again. President Dwight D. Eisenhower championed a high-speed interstate highway system heavily funded by the federal government. While it successfully standardized American travel, it did so by bypassing the vibrant, small-town communities that Route 66 supported. The Mother Road slowly faded, and in 1984 its last two-lane segment was bypassed by Interstate 40. A year later, in 1985, Route 66 was officially decommissioned.

Yet, the road refused to fade away. Nostalgia sparked a powerful preservation movement as people looked back fondly on the “good old days.” In 1999, President Clinton signed legislation earmarking $10 million to preserve the historic route.

Want to take your own trip down memory lane? If you’d like to discover more history about Route 66 as it celebrates its 100th anniversary, explore Newspapers.com today!