The Birthplace of Route 66<\/p>\n
Cyrus Avery of Tulsa is known worldwide as the \u201cFather of Route 66.\u201d Springfield, Missouri, is known as the \u201cBirthplace of Route 66.\u201d<\/p>\n
By 1923, there were 148 miles of street in the city, 60 of which were paved. So, when John T. Woodruff, of Springfield Missouri<\/a><\/em>, along with Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma<\/a> began to suggest a transcontinental highway, Springfield was a logical choice along the path of what would soon become Route 66. Woodruff remains mostly\u00a0known as being among a group of highway advocates (including Avery) and engineers near the Colonial Hotel in Springfield when they sent a telegram on April 30, 1926, to Washington accepting the number 66 assigned to\u00a0a federal highway from Chicago to Los Angeles \u2014 hence the reason Springfield boasts the \u201cbirthplace\u201d tag.<\/p>\n Both Woodruff and Avery worked tirelessly for a highway that would carry America’s new “traveler” from Chicago, Illinois all the way to Los Angeles, California. Persistence prevailed and Route 66 finally became a reality in 1926.<\/p>\n Over the years I’ve taken and accumulated a pretty fair amount of images from the road. I’ve been doing my best to get the images of buildings that may be short lived due to decay. The loss of Reds simply blew my mind, the city has since built a replica sign to celebrate Red Chaney’s iconic diner.<\/p>\n Why the hell didn’t they step up when the original was still here and make it an historical site? Better yet, wouldn’t it have made a great Visitors Center? “No, it’s on the west side”. They would say “it would cost too much”, I have to think they have spent far more in the buildings they have now, with much less historical value. Springfield has always wanted to tear those building and landmarks down only to remove what city officials deem eyesores. Wake up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Birthplace of Route 66 Cyrus Avery of Tulsa is known worldwide as the \u201cFather of Route 66.\u201d Springfield, Missouri, is known as the \u201cBirthplace of Route 66.\u201d By 1923, there were 148 miles of street in the city, 60 of which were paved. So, when John T. Woodruff, of Springfield Missouri, along with Cyrus … <\/p>\n