The Mother Road

The Mother Road

National66.org- Route 66 is a highway that cuts across America and stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles. The route runs through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona ending at Santa Monica, California. That is covering a total of 2,448 miles driving through small towns and major cities. Cyrus Avery and John Woodruff deserve credit for their efforts for promoting the idea of linking Chicago and Los Angeles in the early 1900’s also allowing farmers to transport goods and the trucking industry to thrive in a time of the railroad. The mild climate in the north and flat prairie lands made it appealing to truckers as well.  

Thanks to John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, Route 66 was dubbed the Mother Road, and the name stuck with American’s. Many migrated to California during the Dust Bowl, and for those who lived during this difficult experience, Route 66 would symbolize the “road to opportunity.” Thousands of young men were employed to on road gangs to pave the final stretch of the highway. On the eve of World War II, the War Department was in need of finished highways for rapid mobilization. The Department settled in the west for its dry weather and isolation that was ideal for air and field maneuvers. After the war, thousands of sailors, soldiers, and airmen relocated to the West and Southwest to escape the harsh winters from up North, and Route 66 helped make that possible.

The Mother Road birthed the mom and pop industry. Store owners, motel managers, and gas stations knew that anyone traveling on the highway would need to eat and sleep and have maintenance done to their vehicles. The demands of the new tourism industry during the postwar decades developed modern facilities that guaranteed long-term prosperity. With so many traveling, motels came about, they evolved from the auto camp and tourist home. And then came the cabin camp or cottages, some are still in existence today. These made way for the motor courts in which all rooms were under one roof. They offered amenities like restaurants, souvenir shops, and swimming pools. The concept of filling stations was developed and made it more accessible to motorist.

History to Ride On

Route 66 has paved the way to success in so many ways. Allowing travelers to find adventure and experience it, create jobs, share culture, and made possible the largest westward movement in history. A reliable vehicle makes any adventure possible. At Williams Group Auto, we offer reliable cars and trucks for any adventure and for any size family. Come by and look through our selection of used cars in Abilene or visit www.williamsgroupauto.com and check out our virtual showroom today.