Route_66__Main_Street_of_America

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66 was removed from the United States Highway System because it had been decided the route was no longer needed and had been replaced by the new and updated Interstate Highway System.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 the highway, small communities began popping up along Route 66; gas pumps, local restaurants, hotels, tire shops, etc. These communities managed to survive the Great Depression due to the many travelers looking for readily accessible conveniences. Speaking of conveniences, Route 66 also marked the birth of the fast-food industry. In Springfield, Missouri, Red’s Giant Hamburgs opened what is claimed to be the first drive-through restaurant in 1947. On the other end of Route 66, the first McDonald’s opened in San Bernardino, California (All Roads Lead). It didn’t take long for other chains to pop up along highways selling food made fast and sold for cheaper prices. American’s nationwide are still seeing the effects of these fast food chains today; McDonald’s, Wendy’s, In N’ Out Burgers, White Castle, and many more are still popular along modern day interstates. Thanks to Route 66, people were able to escape from the Great Depression, Fast Food chains were born, and the automobile became bigger than ever. However, when President Eisenhower returned to the United States after Slattery seeing the technological advances in Germany of a fast, efficient interstate system, Route 66 began falling into memories to be replaced by four lane super highways that bypassed small towns, getting people from point A to point B quickly and efficiently. By 1970, almost all of Route 66 was bypassed by these modern highways, and the final blow came in 1984 when the final section of the original road was replaced with Interstate 40 at Williams, Arizona. Works Cited National Historic Route 66 Federation http://www.nationalroute66.org/index.html All Roads Lead to Route 66. A pictorial journey along the mother road. http://www.route-66.com/