History of the Mother Road
Santa Fe to LA
Historic U.S. Highway Map 1926
Produced & Printed In The USA • Keeping You On The Mother Road • 2012-2013
Dale Butel
HISTORY OF THE MOTHER ROAD
traps known to man. Unfortunately, with the advent of the interstate system, Route
66 became a victim of its own success.
The road was decommissioned piecemeal by the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as interstate construction progressed.
Route 66 was completely decertified the last 1,162 mile on June 27, 1985. The last
section of old 66, 5.7 miles through Williams, Arizona was bypassed on October 13,
1984. Route 66 was “replaced” by Interstates 55, 44, 40, 15 and 10.
As a side note, in December 1962, Missouri petitioned AASHTO, on behalf of all
the Route 66 states, to have the interstates renumbered as I-66 from Chicago to Los
Angeles. Needless to say, the request was refused. Route 66, however, like a stubborn maverick, refused to die.
The old road is still with us today, and now is the time for another generation to
learn about and experience this great highway. To spearhead this effort, Route 66
Associations have been established and are active in all 8 Route 66 states, with a
stated mission “to preserve, promote and develop old Route 66 - The Main Street
of America”.
In Missouri, the Route 66 Association of Missouri originated from the efforts of
dedicated volunteers who, in the fall of 1989, realized old 66 deserved recognition and preservation. The Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit Missouri
corporation, started on January 13, 1990. This History of the Mother Road has been
assembled by Dave Emerson from several sources including History books, Street of
towns that (AASHTO) & Assorted Route 66 Associations In each State. So i hope
your next vacation takes your family and friends down “The Mother Road” to new
adventures and old sites of our great nation. Have a great time on the Mother Road.
. By Dave Emerson
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