Route 66: Main Street of America
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Slattery
Ellie Slattery
Professor Poe
English 101-06
23 November 2009
Route 66: Main Street of America
On June 27th, 1985 the American public said farewell to the end of an era. Route 66 was removed from the United States Highway System because it had been decided the route was no longer needed and had been replaced by the new and updated Interstate Highway System. This historic highway originally ran from Chicago, Illinois all the way to Los Angeles, California, a total of 2, 448 miles (Wikipedia par. 1). The Rolling Stones and The Nat King Cole Trio performed hit songs, a television show emerged in the 1960’s, and even today in Disney/Pixar’s film Cars brought Route 66 into the public eye through pop culture.
In 1928, the United States Route 66 Association made its first attempt to raise money to pave the road by hosting the “Bunion Derby”, a footrace from Los Angeles to New York City. The racers would run on Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago, and several celebrities greeted runners at milestones in the race including Will Rogers. In 1938, enough money had been raised to pave the rest of Route 66, and it became the first highway to be completely paved in 1938. The road was paved by young men from all over the country put to work by the government during the Great Depression to provide jobs in a struggling economy
Slattery
(Historic Route). Truckers used the route due to its mostly flat layout, and because of it’s diagonal reach across the country trucks were able to compete with railroads when transporting goods across the country. The road was also used by thousands of migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s on their way to California to find agricultural work. It is no coincidence that the appearance of Route 66 went hand in hand with “the most comprehensive westward movement and economic growth in United States history” (Historic Route). Due to the increased travel on...
Ellie Slattery
Professor Poe
English 101-06
23 November 2009
Route 66: Main Street of America
On June 27th, 1985 the American public said farewell to the end of an era. Route 66 was removed from the United States Highway System because it had been decided the route was no longer needed and had been replaced by the new and updated Interstate Highway System. This historic highway originally ran from Chicago, Illinois all the way to Los Angeles, California, a total of 2, 448 miles (Wikipedia par. 1). The Rolling Stones and The Nat King Cole Trio performed hit songs, a television show emerged in the 1960’s, and even today in Disney/Pixar’s film Cars brought Route 66 into the public eye through pop culture.
In 1928, the United States Route 66 Association made its first attempt to raise money to pave the road by hosting the “Bunion Derby”, a footrace from Los Angeles to New York City. The racers would run on Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago, and several celebrities greeted runners at milestones in the race including Will Rogers. In 1938, enough money had been raised to pave the rest of Route 66, and it became the first highway to be completely paved in 1938. The road was paved by young men from all over the country put to work by the government during the Great Depression to provide jobs in a struggling economy
Slattery
(Historic Route). Truckers used the route due to its mostly flat layout, and because of it’s diagonal reach across the country trucks were able to compete with railroads when transporting goods across the country. The road was also used by thousands of migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s on their way to California to find agricultural work. It is no coincidence that the appearance of Route 66 went hand in hand with “the most comprehensive westward movement and economic growth in United States history” (Historic Route). Due to the increased travel on...