US 66 or Route 66 also known as the

Will Rogers Highway and colloquially known as the

Main Street of America or the Mother Road.

 

Route 66 was established on November 11 1926 and the most famous roads in America ran from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending at Santa Monica. Covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940km)

The Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi River was built to carry the growing traffic of Route 66 around the city of St. Louis. The section remained as Route 66 until 1953, and is still open to traffic today as the Oatman Highway. Despite such hazards in some areas, Route 66 continued to be a popular route.

Restored Magnolia gasoline station museum on Route 66 in Shamrock in Wheeler County, Texas.

The Big Texan advertised a free 72 ounces (2.0 kg) steak dinner to anyone who could consume the entire meal in one hour. It also marked the birth of the fast-food industry: Red's Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri, site of the first drive-through restaurant, and the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California

REVIVAL

The first Route 66 associations were founded in Arizona in 1987 and Missouri in 1989 (incorporated in 1990).

 In 1990, the state of Missouri declared Route 66 in that state a "State Historic Route". 

The first "Historic Route 66" marker in Missouri was erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri (now replaced — the original sign has been placed at Route 66 State Park near Eureka). Other historic markers now line—at times sporadically—the entire 2,400 mile (3,860 km) length of road.