“The saga of Route 66, christened “The Mother Road” by Steinbeck is the story of the rise and fall of small “Mom and Pop” owned businesses. In the beginning, small locally-owned gas stations, tourist camps, and diners were built as entrepreneurs provided new opportunities to get the travelers to stop and spend money. New signs were planted along the highway. They ranged from the small Burma Shave jingles to the large bright yellow billboards with red letters proclaiming the location of the next Whiting Brothers Gas Stations. Creativity abounded with neon, wigwam motels, trading posts filled with imported trinkets and postcards picturing a new species called jackalopes.
Some of these small businesses developed into corporations, building franchised locations in state after state. Soon travelers deserted the small eateries, gas stations, and tourist camps located in the center of towns for the familiarity of heavily-advertised McDonalds, Whiting Brothers, and Howard Johnson.
The prosperity also foretold the end of the great highway. As travel increased and larger cars were built, the road simply wasn’t adequate for the amount of traffic. By 1970, nearly all of the original Route 66 was replaced by a more efficient four-lane highway. The final section of the original road was replaced by Interstate 40 at Williams, Arizona.
Like the early trails of the late 19th century, Route 66 stimulated the largest westward movement in United States history. Often called “America’s Main Street”, it linked the isolated and under-populated Midwest and Southwest with two important 20th century cities — Chicago and Los Angeles. Even though the road has disappeared from the maps, it continues to thrive in the hearts of people worldwide.”
Source: Route 66 The Story of Route 66
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