4/10/24
PLEASE NOTE: this is not THE start of Route 66... this is MY travels upon the Mother Road and where I began
A little history, and please, dig into the history of this area, era and the things that had to come together to bring Route 66 to Missouri.
Abraham Lincoln worked to bring the railroad corridor through this state and particularly this part of the state because, well, this is where he grew up. Yes, I know his birth house is in Kentucky, but he grew up in Missouri and kept the state near and dear to his heart during his presidency.
Along with President Lincoln there were a couple of coal tycoons who were buying up large swaths of land throughout the west and midwest. There was a need for roads to connect the small towns and those properties.
With the creation of the railroad corridor there was a need to travel along it to bring goods, people, services along the same route. Hence was born a bunch of different roads that would be hooked together to for Route 66.
Oh, and can't deny that Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath calling Route 66 the 'Mother Road' called huge attention to the roadway.
I drove from Eureka, MO to Richland, MO, about 2.5 hours today. Tomorrow I'll head to Springfield, MO (Not the home of the Simpsons in case you were wondering)
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