Here's a fascinating article from the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail about the 200th anniversary of the National Road, aka U.S. 40. And it brings up an angle I haven't heard before: that the National Road withered not because of the interstate, but because of a railroad -- decades before the interstate highway system was a … Continue reading Railroad helped Route 66 become America’s highway
Category: History
Using the interstate to slow down
On the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, Kevin A. Wilson of Automotive News comes up with a novel argument for the interstates' existence that benefits Route 66, too. I've used this argument myself. I'll let him explain: Many such changes, however, are matters of choice, and how we use the highway system is … Continue reading Using the interstate to slow down
Should CBS News have paid Route 66 tour guides?
Public Eye, which is sort of an ombudsman of CBS News, received a question from a New York Times reporter about the CBS "Evening News" story about Route 66 and the impact of the interstate highway system. CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi paid John and Lenore Weiss, two Illinois Route 66 preservationists who also conduct tours … Continue reading Should CBS News have paid Route 66 tour guides?
Ruminations on roads
Hank Stuever of the Washington Post has some interesting ruminations about the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system. It seems he's trying to praise it and, at the same time, deflate Route 66 a little. But he's mostly unsuccessful at both. Go read it. It's food for thought, at least.
Re-connect with America through Route 66
With the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, CBS News decided to take a look at its impact on society. And it's not been all good, says Columbia University historian Kenneth T. Jackson. Jackson also says the highway that was supposed to bring us closer together actually pushed us farther apart, as suburbs blossomed, … Continue reading Re-connect with America through Route 66
Long live the (Dairy) Queen
Here's an interesting story form the Naperville (Ill.) Sun about the Dairy Queen restaurant chain in 1940 in Joliet. What many people don't know is that the first DQ was a mom-and-pop restaurant born on Route 66, on North Chicago Street. The story has a photo of that first one. It now has more than … Continue reading Long live the (Dairy) Queen
Oklahoma City’s Gold Dome finds new life
A few years ago, the geodesic "Gold Dome" on Route 66 in Oklahoma City once was slated for the wrecking ball. Now it's being used as a multicultural center and office complex, reports Preservation Online, a publication by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Gold Dome, built in 1958 as a Citizen's Bank, is … Continue reading Oklahoma City’s Gold Dome finds new life
McKinley Bridge in St. Louis will reopen next year
The historic McKinley Bridge, which connected St. Louis with Venice, Ill., for decades until its deteriorating condition forced its closure in 2001, is slated to reopen in September 2007, according to an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Built in 1910 for railroad use and later was opened for automobile traffic, the McKinley was an … Continue reading McKinley Bridge in St. Louis will reopen next year
Students will film Route 66 documentary
A summer course at the University of New Mexico, "Highway 66 Revisited: Documentary Contemporary Route 66," will fan out students with video cameras to find stories along Albuquerque's Central Avenue, reports UNM Today. Robert Russell is teaching the course.
Keep your fingers crossed
The Carthage Press in Carthage, Mo., reports: A possible vote next week by the District 7 Transportation Enhancement Program committee may lead to the creation of a Route 66 museum in the Courthouse. The enhancement funds go toward non-transportation projections such as trails, streetscaping and museums that have a connection with Route 66. Presiding Commissioner … Continue reading Keep your fingers crossed