Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”

This isn't a Route 66 nostalgia book. "Route 66: A Trail of Tears" (514 pages, soft cover, self-published) offers vivid evidence why some people regarded the highway with anguish and dread during its heyday. Historian Barry Duncan compiled hundreds of black-and-white photographs of accidents along a stretch of the Mother Road in southwest Missouri from the 1950s to the 1970s. The … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”

Why was Route 66 also known as “Bloody 66”?

For decades, Route 66 was known as "Bloody 66" because of the many car crashes that occurred on that busy and often-narrow highway. When I first talked to old-timers about Route 66 during the late 1990s, many of them recalled those "Bloody 66" memories. The few books about the Mother Road published at the time also recounted … Continue reading Why was Route 66 also known as “Bloody 66”?

A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968

I stumbled onto this recent video about a car accident in October 1968 that killed four teenagers on Foothill Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Fontana, California.. Two other teens died on Foothill in other accidents the same weekend. https://youtu.be/4FSmC_wKMx8 The video isn't shot by a professional, so you'll have shakiness and typical other things from … Continue reading A tragedy on Route 66 in 1968