As Rick Kelo knows full well, Route 66 is one of the iconic highways of the United States. Route 66 received its number on April 30, 1926. Although it quickly gained popularity – given that it enabled vehicle owners to drive directly from Chicago to Los Angeles – large stretches of the highway were not paved until 1938. Until the paving was complete, certain sections were merely gravel, or even dirt.

1. RICHARD ARTHUR KELO
RICHARD ARTHUR KELO – ROUTE 66

2.  As Rick Kelo knows full well, Route 66 is one of the iconic highways of the United States. Route 66
received its number on April 30, 1926.Although it quickly gained popularity – given that it enabled
vehicle owners to drive directly from Chicago to Los Angeles – large stretches of the highway were
not paved until 1938. Until the paving was complete, certain sections were merely gravel, or even dirt.
 Route 66 gained its first fame in 1927, when a footrace (titled the “Bunion Derby”) was held.This
race, from Los Angeles to NewYork City, followed Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago. Popular
comedianWill Rogers was on hand to greet the runners.

3. In the 1930s, the United States entered the Great Depression. Concurrent with the
financial crash, which left many former millionaires bankrupt and destitute and
created tent cities across the nation, a severe drought struck the Midwest – known
popularly as “America’s Bread Basket” for its high yield of wheat and other grains.
Crops failed, farmers lost their farms, and a great migration began. These former
farmers and farmhands traveled Route 66 in search of work – either in states to the
west, or all the way to Los Angeles itself. California still offered work in agriculture,
and these itinerant workers knew it. With this enormous increase in traffic, several
small and not-so-small businesses sprang up along Route 66. Those traveling to Los
Angeles needed food, water, gasoline, and lodging, and these businesses supplied it.
A few of these former businesses have been listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. One is the 1936 U-Drop Inn, in Shamrock, Texas.

4.  When the United States entered WorldWar II, migration started all over again. Now, it was due to
the war and the factories supplying the armed forces. Men who had been drafted, or who had
volunteered, traveled west to join their units.Women traveled west to work in the factories.
 With the end of the war, Route 66 maintained its popularity. Now, more people than ever owned a
car, and they wanted to use them. Rather than using a car to get from one point to another, the car
was a form of entertainment, along with the highway. Roadside attractions appeared, offering souvenir
stores, unusual food, cave attractions, and that new trend, fast food.As transcontinental highways
improved, however, Route 66 was largely abandoned until groups of concerned citizens banded
together to save it.