This stretch of hand-laid brick, completed as part of the once-grand U.S. Route 66 westward from Chicago to California, is preserved near the central Illinois town of Auburn. (Carol M. Highsmith)
“Route 66 was the first great American road trip,” said Amy Webb, a senior director with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
This month the trust began an 18-month effort to crowdsource Americans’ stories, memories and photos of the famous road that connected the Midwest to the West.
The year 2026 will mark Route 66’s centennial, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seeks to tell a more thorough account, even if that includes unpleasant bumps along the road.
The route began in Chicago at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. It stretched for 2,448 miles through eight states and ended in Santa Monica, California.
When Route 66 opened in 1926, automobile use had surged in the U.S. The road was later used by people relocating during the Dust Bowl, and it was an important highway for military personnel and supplies during World War II. John Steinbeck called it “the Mother Road” in his novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” and the nickname stuck.
“We’re hoping to get all different kinds of stories, with special emphasis on those places that might not be as well-known, and really try to tell a more complete picture of Route 66,” Webb said. “It’s a road that speaks to almost everyone.”
“Almost” perhaps because for years Route 66 had restaurants and hotels that didn’t welcome Black Americans.
“The heyday of Route 66 corresponds with the Green Book, the book that African Americans would use to find safe places to stay,” Webb said. “African American travelers often couldn’t stay right on Route 66, so they would use the Green Book to find those lodging facilities and restaurants that would welcome them.”
Old roadside gas and service station, re-created at the Route 66 Motorheads Bar, Grill and Museum outside Springfield, Illinois. The owner, Ron Metzger, has collected, restored and displayed many artifacts from the historic, Chicago-to-California two-lane U.S. Route 66 over the years. (Carol M. Highsmith)
Now the National Trust for Historic Preservation wants your stories and snapshots.
“We’ve made it as easy as possible,” Webb said. “There’s an online form. All you have to do is to upload a photo and then a very short story — a couple of sentences — and that’s really about it. We’re just hoping to get as many stories as possible, because awareness is the very first thing you need to do in looking at preservation.”
“The trust is working hard to advocate for a permanent federal National Historic Trail designation for Route 66,” Webb said. “We hope it’s a designation we can have in place before the centennial.”
A visit to the trust’s website shows a strong early response to the endeavor, with thoughtful reflections and a mix of vintage photos and recent ones.
“There’s been tremendous interest both from travelers in the U.S. and an amazing amount of interest internationally,” Webb said. “It’s a road that’s known the world over.”
For more information and to share your story, visit savingplaces.org.
A classic 1940s-vintage Pioneer Motel (and sign) along the old “Mother Road” — U.S. Route 66 from Chicago to California — still stands and invites guests just north of Springfield, Illinois. (Carol M. Highsmith)
