nov 11, 1926 - Route 66 Opened

Description:

Route 66, also known as Highway 66 and the “Mother Road” was one of the first highways for motor vehicles and over time became an icon in American pop culture. For its creation, a system of major interstate routes was mapped out and brought to the US Secretary of Agriculture by the American Association of State Highway Officials and was accepted in November of 1925. The first draft was called Highway 60, and various states protested it, saying that they were left out. For example, Kentucky protested that it was completely left out and that based on the placement of other roads, a highway numbered 60 should logically run through Kentucky. Over time, the plan was changed to Route 62 and eventually Route 66, the final version, which was accepted on November 11th, 1926. Route 66 was built in segments, which were not entirely connected and paved until 1938. By the mid-1930s, Route 66 was known as the “Main Street of America”.

Site 1: Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023e, May 29). Route 66. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Route-66

Site 2: Route 66. National Museum of American History. (2019, April 15). https://americanhistory.si.edu/america-on-the-move/route-66#

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