Birthplace of Route 66 - Springfield, Mo   by C.H. Skip Curtis

Read What Others Are Saying...

Route 66 Magazine
“…belongs in the library of any Roadie who is a serious aficionado of Route 66 and her communities.” bbbb

bbbbFrom the beginning, Curtis goes into the history of Route 66 in Springfield, as well as highlighting, through individual stories, the places that made Route 66 famous in the community. The Rail Haven Motor Court, Red’s Giant Hamburg – the home of the first drive-up window, and the Gillioz Theatre, are just a few of the stories that lead off this history of Springfield as a Route 66 town.
bbbbOver 200 vintage postcards and photographs present views of motels, restaurants, service stations, and other attractions. Aerial photographs and full east-to-west and west-to-east driving instructions round out this information-packed volume that belongs in the library of any Roadie who is a serious aficionado of Route 66 and her communities.

Springfield News-Leader
“The book’s …illustrations pinpoint many long-ago landmarks to stir old-timers’ memories.”

bbbbPerhaps more than in any other period of our lifetimes, we may now feel yearning for ‘the good old days.’ For many, such fond memories are associated with Route 66, which linked the Midwest and Out West. And just in time for the 75th anniversary…of the highway comes a volume titled Birthplace of Route 66 – Springfield, Mo.
bbbbThe book was researched and assembled by C.H. Skip Curtis. He says he has ‘an inquisitive mind’ and it led him to stop the car frequently for closer looks. ‘I’d see an old building and say to myself, I wonder what went on in there. Eventually I began knocking on doors and asking others those questions. And I started carrying a tape recorder to collect their answers and stories.’
bbbbCurtis was amazed by what he heard: ‘Such a wide range of emotion and reality. There was heartache, hardship and tears on that road. But lots of good memories, too, of traveling, and working, and living. For many people, having a cross-country road nearby gave them a livelihood, selling baskets, sandwiches, whatever. Or it inspired them to follow their dreams.’

Lebanon Daily Record
“It’s hard to put this Route 66 book aside.”

bbbbThis coffee-table book includes many rare photos of the businesses that were on the famous route…Curtis emphasized in the book that Springfield played many important roles in the forming and the promotion of “The Mother Road.” I learned from the book that the town played host to a meeting in 1926 between highway officials of Missouri and Oklahoma, who got together to decide on the official number of the new highway.
bbbbThe book includes…more than 20 stories of people who lived and worked along the road. Once you start reading this interesting book, it is hard to put it aside. For Route 66…and history buffs, this book is one of the best written histories I have found.

Rolla Daily News
“New book adds to draw of Route 66.”

bbbbA new book arrived in the mail the other day, and it’s a good one. Birthplace of Route 66 – Springfield, Mo is the title of it, and it’s by Skip Curtis, who wrote another book that I have used frequently, The Missouri US Tour Book.
bbbbThe book is loaded with historical articles and pictures. If you’re interested in …Route 66, I recommend you add this book to your personal library.