Route 66 Texas, Sites Along Route 66 in Texas. (original) (raw)
"To Americans 100 years is a long time and
to Europeans 100 miles is a great distance." - Unk
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Route 66 sign A vintage photo taken on "The Mother Road" Courtesy TxDoT |
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Route 66
by John TroesserBefore Mr. McAdam invented macadam, and long before reflective signs, passing lanes and exit signs; the railroad was the last word in transportation. The Panhandle got its first look at trains with the arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver in the 1880s. Then from 1902 -1909, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad laid tracks East to West across the prairie; placing the roadbed and rails almost exactly atop nine county lines. (Armstrong, Wheeler, Gray, Donley, Carson, Randal, Potter, Oldham and Deaf Smith.)
In the 30s, Route 66 more or less followed the rails. It became the evacuation route for displaced farmers during the Great Depression, but otherwise it remained under-used until the 1950s when the post-war boom forced it into full bloom. Then the U. S. Interstate system was built and soulless I-40 drained the lifeblood from the smaller towns and businesses on Route 66.
Twenty-some years after being officially deactivated, interest in the highway continues to grow. It is, by far, the most celebrated highway in the world. Pilgrims are magnetically drawn to the seemingly endless ribbon of road, sky and prairie from all over the world. Peeling paint, weather-cracked driveways and chipped Formica viewed through streaked glass give visitors the feeling they're visiting a lost civilization and that's not too far from the truth in many cases. The road today can be thought of as a sort of open-air museum.
Route 66 Texas
Percentage-wise, Texas hosts a relatively short length of the road. From the Oklahoma line to the New Mexico line is a mere 178 miles, but surprisingly 90% of the original highway remains. Texas can also claim the Route 66 halfway point. Depending on one's philosophy on travel, entering the town of Adrian means your trip is either happily half-completed, or sadly half-over.
Amarillo, may be the only Texas city mentioned in the famous song, but the smaller towns of Adrian, Alanreed, Lela and McLean are certainly doing their bit for preservation.
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Texas Route 66
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
Delbert Trew of Alanreed is the man to talk to regarding Texas 66. His weekly column can be read in the Amarillo Globe and selected columns are available here in Texas Escapes He can often be found sharpening the exhibits at the Barbwire Museum.
Texas Route 66 Forum
Subject: Route 66 trip
A friend of mine and I are planning a picture taking trip across the Texas panhandle on old Route 66. We are starting at Texola, OK and ending our trip in Genrio, Tx. You website has been very helpful and I've saved all the information. I have a question, however: are there any "don't do's" or "places to avoid" along the way? - Jerry Harris, October 10, 2005