River Hills Traveler
ST. LOUIS RV VACATION & TRAVEL SHOW GUIDE
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Route 66 winds through St. Louis landscape, history
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By Joe Sonderman strung in the 1840s. Railroads domi1922, the State Highway oute 66 is a legend, celebrat- nated travel after the Civil War and Commission designated ed in books, movies, works road building took a backseat. It was routes connecting the of art and popular music. bicycle enthusiasts who first led the big cities and the road As “America’s between St. Louis and Mainstreet” it had to pass Joplin became MO through the “Gateway to Route 14. the West.” Washington stepped Missouri established its in to ease the confufirst state road in 1835, sion in 1925, assigning from St. Louis through numbers to the prothe quiet village of posed federal highway Manchester to Jefferson routes. East-West routes City. In 1837, another received even numbers, state road was established with those ending in “0” THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY — A view of City between St. Louis and being the most imporRoute 66 (12th Street) through downtown St. Louis in Springfield. tant. The Chicago to the 1950s. View is to the north at Market Street. (US 40) Route 66 combined sev- ROAD TO CHICAGO —Chain of Rocks Bridge, 1940. Los Angeles highway eral very old routes. The received the number 60. when Cynthia suggested he write a name Gravois comes from the French push for better roads. The first auto Missouri maps were already printed song about Highway 40. Troup sugfor gravelly. Chippewa is an Ojibway mobile built in St. Louis appeared in showing Route 60. But Governor Wil- gested Route 66 instead and Cynthia name for a type of moccasin. Wesley 1893 and in 1907, the state appointed liam Fields of Kentucky wanted 60 said “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.” It Watson and a group of county citizens a Highway Engineer under the Board for a highway through his state. After was first recorded by Nat King Cole in filed for a road between St. Louis and of Agriculture to help a battle of angry tele- 1946. Fenton in 1845, today’s Watson Road. counties with road congrams, it was agreed Even during the post war boom struction. that the catchy sound- change was in the air. President Meanwhile, private ing “66” was acceptDwight David Eisenhower saw freepromoters were mapable. The routes were ways as vital to national defense and ping out roads with approved on Novem- a way to stimulate the economy. His colorful names like the ber 11, 1926 and the Federal Highway Act of 1956 created Ozark Trail, Lincoln U.S. 66 Highway the Interstate Highway system. The Highway and Dixie Association went to CONCRETE DETAIL — No visit nation’s first actual interstate construcHighway. Merchants to St. Louis is complete without work promoting paid the promoters the highway. a stop at Ted Drewes Frozen to have the highway Foot power first Custard, which opened on Route ART DECO JEWEL — The Coral routed past their busi- 66 in 1941. (Joe Sonderman put 66 on the Court Motel on City 66, a streamlined ness, taking drivers out photo) map. C.C. “Cash masterpiece, later gained a notorious of their way. and Carry” Pyle reputation. It was demolished in 1995. In 1920, Missouri promoted a foot race from Los The route between St. Louis and voters approved a $60 million road Angeles to Chicago along 66 beSpringfield became known as the Wire bond issue for a state road system to fore finishing in New York City. Road when the telegraph lines were “Lift Missouri Out of the Mud.” In On March 4, 1928, 275 runners started the “Bunion Derby.” Just 55 made it to the finish line. They were led by Andy Payne, a part- MISSOURI’S FIRST CLOVERLEAF — City Cherokee Indian from the Route Route 66 (Watson) and the 1936-1955 66 town of Foyil, Okla.. Pyle Mainline/1955-1965 Bypass over Lindbergh met lost a pile of money and Route at the first cloverleaf interchange in Missouri, 66 reaped the publicity. constructed in 1931 south of Kirkwood. It was Route 66 will always be asdemolished in 1980. sociated with images of overloaded jalopies filled with Dust Bowl tion took place on Interstate 70 west refugees. In The Grapes of Wrath, of the Missouri River in St. Charles. John Steinbeck called it “The Mother The soulless superslab replaced Road.” During World War Two, the 66 but the old road refused to die. highway was vital link to defense Nostalgia buffs and roadside rebels installations such as Jefferson Barcontinued to seek out the tourist traps, racks and Fort Leonard Wood. Leisure motels and gas stations that still hold travel boomed in the post WW II era, on for life on 66. People cling to the Golden Age of Route 66. memories of a time before America Songwriter Bobby Troup assured was in such a big hurry, before the Route 66 a place in popular culture. THE WAY IT WAS — This 1940 map shows the Route 66 mainline on Lindbergh Continued on Page 12 Bobby and his wife Cynthia were Avenue and the city route following New Watson Road, Chippewa and Gravois headed west on US 40 near St. Louis Avenues and Twelfth Street.
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