Cultural Routes and Heritage Trails - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 30

Case Study: Historic Route 66 ( Continued )

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2

3

7

5

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4

1. Chicago

2. St. Louis

3. Tulsa

4. Amarillo

5. Albuquerque

6. Flagstaff

7. Los Angeles

Figure 2.3 Route 66: Illinois to California

heading westward for deployment from California. Perhaps its most
famous role, however, was as a migratory route for people escaping the
Great Depression, exacerbated by the Dust Bowl of the Midwest, which
caused the failure of many farm operations. Approximately 200,000
people left their farms in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska,
Kansas, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico to find work in California.
Route 66 is most closely associated with this natural disaster and the
displacement of thousands of Americans seeking survival. With the
advent of the Interstate Highway System in 1956, the importance of
Route 66 diminished rapidly as many of the settlements and towns along
66 were bypassed entirely by new motorways. Some parts of the old road
are covered by interstate highways; many additional pieces have been
abandoned or covered over, while some parts are still used as side roads.
Today, The Mother Road is experiencing a unique reincarnation. Its
iconic status in US history and the burgeoning 'nostalgia industry' have
brought about the resurgence of Route 66 as a focal point of tourism
development (Carden, 2006). Some parts of the road have been desig-
nated National Scenic Byways, and many of the towns along its length
have begun to brand themselves with the Route 66 trademark.
Businesses, historic landmarks and other attractions have also begun