Historic Route 66: Library Resources

1926. Gas is 17¢ a gallon. Haircuts are 25 cents. And U.S. Route 66--two thousand miles of road and concrete--connects Chicago with Los Angeles, making long-distance travel a reality for millions of Americans. Often called America's Main Street, this famous highway played a key role in the development of U.S. industry and commerce. It offered the prospect of a better life in the West for families trapped in rural poverty along its path. And, by the early 1940s, it was a lifeline in the U.S. war effort. Route 66 quickly became part of the American Dream, generating its own myths and romance and inspiring scores of novelists, poets, artists, moviemakers, and songwriters to weave its image into their work. This compact book follows the path of the Mother Road, reveals its importance, and captures its special magic. More than 240 full-color illustrations reveal the unique culture along the road, from neon signs and historic landmarks to favorite cars and recipes popular along the highway. "Don't be fooled by this small package--within its pages is a colorful, illustrated history of the fabled road and its landmarks."--Paul Taylor, from the Introduction

Hit the Road with Moon Travel Guides! Moon Route 66 Road Trip reveals the best of this iconic highway, from sweeping prairies and red rock mountains to the glittering Pacific. Inside you'll find: Maps and Driving Tools: 37 easy-to-use maps keep you oriented on and off the highway, along with site-to-site mileage, driving times, and detailed directions for the entire route Eat, Sleep, Stop and Explore:You'll know exactly what you want to do at each stop with lists of the best hikes, views, and more. Wander transcendent landscapes like Acoma Pueblo or Joshua tree. Immerse yourself in classic Americana with roadside attractions, outsider art, and kitsch masterpieces. Explore metropolitan icons like Los Angeles or Chicago, or stop for a drink at an authentic soda fountain Itineraries for Every Traveler:Drive the entire original route in two weeks, or follow strategic routes for one- to two-days in Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Santa Fe, and the Grand Canyon, plus side trips to Taos, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree, and Santa Monica Expert Perspective: Historian and Route 66 connoisseur Candacy Taylor provides critical insight into the history of the "Mother Road," including the women of Route 66, car culture, and the untold stories of the Green Book, which enabled African Americans to travel west safely Planning Your Trip:Know when and where to get gas, how to avoid traffic, tips for driving in different road and weather conditions, and suggestions for LGBTQ travelers, seniors, and road trippers with kids WithMoon Route 66 Road Trip'spractical tips, detailed itineraries, and insider's view, you're ready to fill up the tank and hit the road. Looking to explore more of America on wheels? TryMoon California Road Trip! Doing more than driving through? Check outMoon Grand Canyon, Moon New Mexico, orMoon Utah.

From its designation in 1926 to the rise of the interstates nearly sixty years later, Route 66 was, in John Steinbeck's words, America's Mother Road, carrying countless travelers the 2,400 miles between Chicago and Los Angeles. Whoever they were--adventurous motorists or Dustbowl migrants, troops on military transports or passengers on buses, vacationing families or a new breed of tourists--these travelers had to eat. The story of where they stopped and what they found, and of how these roadside offerings changed over time, reveals twentieth-century America on the move, transforming the nation's cuisine, culture, and landscape along the way. Author T. Lindsay Baker, a glutton for authenticity, drove the historic route--or at least the 85 percent that remains intact--in a four-cylinder 1930 Ford station wagon. Sparing us the dust and bumps, he takes us for a spin along Route 66, stopping to sample the fare at diners, supper clubs, and roadside stands and to describe how such venues came and went--even offering kitchen-tested recipes from historic eateries en route. Start-ups that became such American fast-food icons as McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Steak 'n Shake, and Taco Bell feature alongside mom-and-pop diners with flocks of chickens out back and sit-down restaurants with heirloom menus. Food-and-drink establishments from speakeasies to drive-ins share the right-of-way with other attractions, accommodations, and challenges, from the Whoopee Auto Coaster in Lyons, Illinois, to the piles of "chat" (mining waste) in the Tri-State District of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, to the perils of driving old automobiles over the Jericho Gap in the Texas Panhandle or Sitgreaves Pass in western Arizona. Describing options for the wealthy and the not-so-well-heeled, from hotel dining rooms to ice cream stands, Baker also notes the particular travails African Americans faced at every turn, traveling Route 66 across the decades of segregation, legal and illegal. So grab your hat and your wallet (you'll probably need cash) and come along for an enlightening trip down America's memory lane--a westward tour through the nation's heartland and history, with all the trimmings, via Route 66.  

Seeing this panoply of signs splashed across the pages in Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements is almost as good as taking a road trip! You can get your kicks--and pretty much anything else--on Route 66, provided you see the sign that s advertising it! Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements showcases the colorful history of commercial signage along the Mother Road. From kitschy to classy, this book includes photos of early vintage signs as well as modern signs. The vivid photos are organized according to type of establishment the signs are for, such as roadside attractions, motels, restaurants, businesses of ill repute (bars, strip clubs, etc.), and more. While Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements places emphasis on high-quality visuals, it also includes anecdotes and history about the signs that sprang up along the sides of Route 66. The most famous Route 66 signs get center-stage treatment in the book, with two-page spreads accompanied by detailed text. Such signs include icons like the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the Munger Moss in Lebanon, Missouri, the U-Drop Inn at Shamrock, Texas, and the El Vado in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Additional information is included, such as background about buzzing neon lights--how these signs are actually made and how they get restored. Each image from this famous American roadway could be a postcard, so allow yourself to be rubbernecked by Route 66 Signs and Advertisements.

Join Route 66 expert Jim Hinckley as he tours more than 60 ghost towns along the Mother Road, rich in stories and history! The quintessential boom-and-bust highway of the American West, Route 66 once hosted a thriving array of boomtowns built around oil mines, railroad stops, cattle ranches, resorts, stagecoach stops, and gold mines. Illustrated with gorgeous sepia-tone and color photography by Kerrick James, this book tours dozens of ghost towns in: Illinois (Braidwood, Braceville, Gardner, Dwight, Bloomington, Funks Grove, Springfield) Missouri (Rolla, Dootlittle, Springfield, Halltown, Paris Springs Junction, Avilla, Carthage, Joplin) Kansas (Galena, Riverton, Baxter Springs) Oklahoma (Narcissa, Afton, Tulsa, Warwick, Bridgeport, Foss, Elk City, Erick, Texola) Texas (Shamrock, McLean, Alanreed, Jericho, Amarillo, Glenrio) New Mexico (San Jon, Tucumari, Montoya, Newkirk, Cuervo, Dilia, Tecolote, Santa Fe, Thoreau, Gallup) Arizona (Lupton, Chambers, Two Guns, Flagstaff, Truxton, Hackberry, Kingman, Goldroad, Oatman) California (Needles, Goffs, Essex, Cadiz, Chambless, Amboy, Ludlow, Newberry Springs, Daggett, Barstow) This edition also includes directions and travel tips for your ghost-town explorations along Route 66, as well as a fold-out map of the Mother Road. Explore the beauty and nostalgia of these abandoned communities along America's favorite highway!

Route 66 may never return as an American highway, but it will never disappear from our collective memory. The Mother Road touches our very soul, causing us to reflect on the past and reconsider our place in the present. A Matter of Time offers readers a fresh and different perspective. Documenting 101 distinct locations along historic Route 66, this book emphasizes forgotten and familiar places--relics of the past that are seldom, if ever, portrayed in print. Photographer Ellen Klinkel first traveled Route 66 in 2013. Immediately inspired to capture the road "in its pure essence" through the lens of her camera, she returned over the next four years to photograph various sites along the old highway. As she explains, the road is the "main character" in all her images, whether they depict a dramatic sky along Tornado Alley, a nightscape in the Mojave Desert, or a tranquil early morning on the Santa Monica Pier. She is drawn to places that evoke change and abandonment--especially ones that became obscure during the road's periodic rerouting--as well as revival. A Matter of Time follows the journey that so many Americans traveled for decades: starting from downtown Chicago, coursing through multiple states in the Midwest and Southwest, and culminating in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles. As a Route 66 historian and advocate, Nick Gerlich is deeply familiar with the entire route, both through personal experience and extensive research. His in-depth captions place Klinkel's photographs in historical and cultural context, enhancing our understanding of her haunting images. Together, photographer and historian inspire new and unexpected ways to appreciate America's Main Street.  

The Backroads of Route 66 explores the landmarks, natural wonders, and historical gems left to be explored off the beaten path of America's most famous byway.