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The Missouri US 66 Tour Book
by C.H. Skip Curtis |
bbbbAmerica’s most famous
road was commissioned U.S. Highway 66 on November 11, 1926. Stretching 2400
miles from Chicago, Illinois through eight states to California, Route 66
meandered over 300 miles in ten counties in Missouri. Roughly following the
Kickapoo Trace and stagecoach routes, US 66 in Missouri had been variously
called the Old Wire Road, Osage Trail, Ozark Trail, Springfield Road, and
MO 14. From St. Louis, the highway traveled west through the Meramec River
valley, over flat prairies, through the rugged beauty of the Ozark hills,
along the Springfield plateau and Ozark Plains, into the mining districts
of the Carthage-Joplin area.
bbbbThe Missouri US 66 Tour Book
is the first volume that makes an extensive, in-depth examination of the history
of Route 66 in any one state. It is intended to aid you in your trek along
Route 66 in Missouri, whether “touring” in your home or experiencing
the “Show Me State” on the open road, telling you what is currently
on the old road and showing you what once was there. Also, a brief history
of each of the Missouri towns affected by “The Mother Road” is
presented.
bbbbBut foremost, it is a tour book of pictures.
Utilizing over 350 vintage postcards and photographs, and detailed driving
instructions, including accurate 2-color sectional maps and mileage callouts,
and notations concerning bypassed sections no longer accessible, this 272-page
volume will take you on a nostalgic trip on old 2-lane Route 66 across Missouri,
both educating and entertaining you.
bbbbWe trust this book will enhance your appreciation
of the old road, acquainting (or re-acquainting) you with the people, businesses,
sites and facilities in Missouri that served Route 66 for over 50 years.
