Consulting a map by the light of a '66 Buick LeSabre, vintage car buff John Coleman, of Greenville, pauses along a stretch of Route 66 southwest of Litchfield to mark his progress along The Mother Road.

"No matter how many times you travel 66, you always find something new," says Rich Henry, vice president of the Route 66 Association of Illinois. "Old stores, businesses, tourist attractions. Maybe other highways are beautiful, maybe they're scenic, but that's it. Route 66 was what life was all about. There's something mystical about it."

Henry isn't the first person to be moved by The Mother Road. Since its birth in 1926, thousands of travelers have rolled down U.S. Highway 66 in search of insight or adventure. Some 66 scholars say the road's legendary status comes from the path it's worn through American history: an avenue of escape during the Depression, a way home after the war. Some say it's the countless rural American enterprises 66 carried on its shoulders for the better part of the century. Others write off the mystery as savvy marketing and nostalgia.

But nay-sayers notwithstanding, the lines sung by Troup and penned by Steinbeck (see sidebar) seem to be inspired by the road, rather than written for it. And while those same lines often spotlight the cities of 66, it was the country road that served as forerunner for most of the highway. Like a national game of connect the dots, Route 66 drew a concrete line from farm to farm, community to community, economy to economy.

"Those early businesses along 66 were there to serve the public. They were dedicated to the traveler," says Henry, himself a 66 merchant. "The new ones that sprung up along the interstate . . . well, I think there was a feeling that was lost. You lost that personal touch. And that reflects on other things in our lives."

While Henry laments the loss of commerce along 66, he also acknowledges the interstate highway system as a necessary step in infrastructure evolution. There's no way we could have kept Route 66 as a dual lane, unlimited access highway," he notes, citing the interstate's ability to accommodate the volume, speed, and size of today's traffic. But it's nice to preserve as much as we can of Route 66 — and other old highways — so people have a choice."

The Route 66 Association of Illinois is doing just that. Since its creation in 1989, the association has worked to promote and preserve the Mother Road. In 1993, a push from the association propelled the Illinois Department of Transportation toward a study which ultimately earned 66 historic status. It also resulted in the brown badges that mark the route's progress through Illinois.

The work continues. Even now the Route 66 Association is working to restore old barns, bridges, buildings and other milestones that stand along the highway. Efforts like theirs mean fragments of early Americana may still be standing when people like Melissa Ritter pass by. Two years ago, the then-reporter for the Edwardsville Intelligencer hitched a four-day ride up Illinois Route 66 with writers from the Houston Chronicle. "It really opened my eyes to what was on the road —

10 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JULY 1998

Route 66 Fact Finder (66) Commissioned in 1926. (66) Completed in 1937. (66) Decommissioned in 1985. (66) Connected smaller streets and rural roads across America. (66) Begins in Chicago, ends in Santa Monica. (66) Covers 2,448 miles start to finish. (66) At one time reportedly linked over 50 Main Streets. (66) Cyrus Stevens Avery, of Tulsa, Okla., is credited as one of the key proponents of the national highway system and the "Father of Route 66." (66) Original route doesn't appear on current maps (See next sidebar for route resources) (66) Path changed over time, resulting in several "alignments." (66) Historic Route 66 shields erected in Illinois in 1995. (66) Crosses eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. (66) Song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" written by Bobby Troup while en route on 66 to Los Angeles. (66) Christened "The Mother Road" in John Steinbeck's 1939 novel "The Grapes of Wrath" (66) Formerly known as Illinois Route 4. (66) Aliases include the Main Street of America, U.S. Highway 66, the Mother Road, and the Will Rogers Highway. (66) Route 66 Associations exist in the United States, Canada, Japan, and several European countries.

all these mom-and-pop shops that existed. Route 66 was more than just a road that ran thousands of miles to California. It was really about each individual needing it as a method of transportation. People still use this road as their livelihood," says Ritter. "It's still really important to rural America."

As for the mystique that surrounds the road, Ritter suggests it wasn't so much what people found on the highway as what they brought to it. "It was the road that led to a lot of people's dreams," she says, speculating that today's travelers may be motivated by a similar search.

And though they may be searching for the American dream, there are more than Americans searching.

"I get to meet people from all over the world," says Bill Shea, a lifetime member of the Route 66 Association and proprietor of a Springfield Marathon station-turned-66 museum. Shea's guest book lists names from 19 countries and dozens of states. Far from surprised, Shea says he expects "out-of-towners" to visit a national monument. "That's what it is, really," he says, leafing through the guest book. "It's the longest monument in the United States. And it belongs to everybody."

Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire's work can be found in maps, books, magazines, galleries, and on the Internet. Waldmire, a Springfield native, also illustrated Searching for 66, author Tom Teague's journey down the highway.

Shea nods to a desk piled with snapshots, cards and letters, magazine articles and trinkets — greetings from fellow 66 owners. He plucks an envelope with a Peoria return address from the pile. It's filled with pictures from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, circa 1993. He pulls another envelope. More pictures — this time with a letter attached. A traveler who wanted to keep in touch.

And therein lies the life beyond the legend of U.S. Route 66.

Early travelers weren't driven by the road. They were moved by its people. The Santa Monica merchant who stopped to help a stranded motorist, the Oklahoma librarian who offered direction, the farmer from Illinois who gave a young couple a hot meal. All were joined by a slender, unbreakable thread. A sense of community.

It's that same sense of community that brings 66ers together today. That same sense that motivates them to save reminders of people and places that fell away, but are too important to forget. That same sense that inspires an elderly Illinois farmer to light a quiet roadside shrine where travelers can stop, reflect, pray. It's that same sense of community — especially in Illinois — that still makes U.S. Route 66 the road to a lot of people's dreams.

-story and photos by Joe Richardson

JULY 1998 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 11

Booking Travel on The Mother Road

So you'd like to travel Route 66 but don't have time for a weekend trip, much less a month-long expedition? No problem. You can still get a kick from Route 66 (you knew we had to use that sooner or later). The Mother Road is one of the best documented highways in history. Here are a few mile markers to get you started.

Traveling the New, Historic Route 66, by John Weiss. A turn by turn, town by town guide to Illinois Route 66.

Route 66 - The Mother Road, by Michael Wallis. A state by state look at Route 66. Interesting book offering an account of life on The Mother Road illustrated with full color photos.

The 66 News! The definitive source for up-to-date information on Illinois Route 66. Newsletter includes text, photos, and illustrations. Published quarterly by the Route 66 Association of Illinois. For subscription or article information, contact Randy Smith, editor, at 309-699-2228 or via email at The66News@aol.com. Queries may also be sent to Marie Jibben at lisa66@sprynet.com.

Historic Illinois 66 website: www.illinois66.com. All the directions you need to successfully navigate your favorite Route 66 alignment from Chicago to St. Louis. Includes facts, photos, and a listing of events.

Illinois Route 66 (Madison County style): www.edwpub.com/route66. Hosted by the Edwardsville Intelligencer, this site focuses on 66 in Madison County. Includes anecdotes and updates on Festival 66, the area's annual Route 66 celebration.

Historic Route 66: Where The Mother Road meets the Information Superhighway: http: route66.netvision.be/Outstanding state-by-state maps of the Mother Road. Includes mileage, fun facts, and site information. See this before you hit the road.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois. Dedicated to promoting, preserving, and enjoying the highway. Send queries to 2743 Veterans Parkway, PO Box 166, Springfield, IL 62704.

Route 66 Motor Tour. Annual 66 road rally which highlights historic points along various alignments. Held in June. Contact Jeff LaFollette, tour chairman, at 319/893-6653.

12 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • JULY 1998