There is perhaps no more fabled roadway in America than US Highway 66. Better known as Route 66, it was immortalized in print by John Steinbeck in his classic depression era novel The Grapes Of Wrath. Nat King Cole sang its praises in Bobby Troup’s hit tune Route 66. Marty Milner and George Maharis secured its place in American folklore as the stars of the CBS television series, Route 66, from 1960-1964.
Popular culture may have helped turn US Highway 66 into Historic Route 66, but Route 66 did play an important role in 20th Century America. US Highway 66 was the most direct passageway from Chicago to Los Angeles – the “road to opportunity,” as Steinbeck called it. It opened in 1926, and by World War II, the highway was the lifeline between east and west coast military outposts. From 1941-1945 the US government invested nearly $75 billion in capital projects throughout California underwriting new industries and creating scores of jobs.
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