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Route 66“The Mother Road” “Will Rogers Highway” by Meg Van Patten, Librarian |
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From Chicago to Santa Monica Route 66 covers approximately 2,400 miles. Started in 1916 the road was officially designated Route 66 in the summer of 1926. Known as one of the principal east-west arteries route 66 starts in Chicago, Illinois and ending in Santa Monica, California it winds its way through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
The depression combined with droughts in Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas, known as the Dust Bowl, resulted in thousands of families taking Route 66 to head for California in hopes of finding a better life. During World War II people traveled “The Mother Road” to California in the hope of finding jobs. In the post war boom it was a well-traveled route for family pleasure trips.
In 1956 a Federal Highway Act provided a way to underwrite the cost of a national highway system with wider four lane roads. Route 66 was de-commissioned as a federal highway over a period of years with the last stretch disappearing from the records in 1984.
Books
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Media
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Databases
Websites
Associations
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Route 66 has been an inspiration to many writers over the years. In addition to books and films that chronicle the history of the road, some authors have used Route 66 as the setting for fictional works. |
When you visit your library, most nonfiction materials about Route 66 can be found by browsing in the bookshelves [adult, juvenile or reference collections] in the call numbers:
388.109
917.304
917.804
To find fiction books and media in the OCPL catalog select the search option KEYWORD and enter the term ROUTE 66.
You can also “browse” the OCPL catalog for titles. Select the search option BROWSE, then choose SUBJECT and type Route 66.
Browse the pages of subject headings for those that most closely match your interest. Click on headings to see titles of individual items, the branch where they are located, and their availability. “See Also” indicates headings for related and more specific topics, such as Adoptees and Special Needs Adoption.
Here are some useful Subject Headings to try:
Route 66 (U.S.)
United States Highway 66
United States Highway 66 -- History
United States Highway 66 -- History – Pictorial Works
United States Highway 66 -- Guidebooks
United States Highway 66 – Collectibles
United States Highway 66 – Atlases
United States Highway 66 – Description and Travel
United States Highway 66 – Fiction
United States Highway 66 – Pictorial Works
FICTION
West on 66
Cobb, James H.
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 1999.
A vacationing cop follows Route 66 from Chicago to California, at the tail end of a hot summer in 1958. Occupying the passenger seat is the daughter of a murdered mobster who stole and ran from his partners. The cop helps the woman who is on the trail of some missing money.
Molly’s Route 66 Adventure
Raymer, Dottie
Pleasant Company Publications, 2002.
Designed like a scrapbook complete with souvenirs tucked in to little pockets, young American Girl Molly describes her family’s trip on Route 66 in August of 1946.
California Girl
Rice, Patricia
New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 2005.
Alys and her elderly friend Mame are start out on a road trip along historic Route 66. Mame suffers a medical setback but sneaks out of the hospital and starts out on her own to retrace the romantic path of her honeymoon on Route 66. Alys with the help of Mame’s nephew, the sexy Dr. Elliot, sets out after Mame. Alys and Elliot end up spending many hours together on the Mother Road in an aging pink Cadillac–and the sparks are destined to fly.
A Death on 66
Sanders, William
A. St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
A one-armed former piano legend owns the Flying Tiger nightclub on Route 66 outside Tulsa. Although he thought he'd chased off the Mob when he opened the club, lately he's been the recipient of disconcerting, mildly threatening notes. It's not worth bringing in the cops, and a real private eye would cost too much, so he turns to Tag Roper, onetime investigative reporter turned unsuccessful historical novelist. In short order, a body surfaces in the Tiger dumpster, a local wise guy shows up, and Tag is threatened by a deranged CIA type.
Hope’s Highway
Garlock, Dorothy
New York, NY: Warner Books, 2004
Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press, 2004. (LARGE PRINT)
Margie Kinnard has a dream of going to California to become a movie star. She and her father set out on Route 66 forming a caravan with other travelers on the highway. Then a former love who had stolen from Margie appears and her father suddenly dies. Was it a natural death or murder? Will Margie make it to Hollywood or will she marry the handsome rancher who protected her?
Mother Road
Garlock, Dorothy
New York, NY: Warner Books, 2003.
Leona lives with her widowed brother-in-law so that she can take care of his two daughters. She also helps out in his business, Andy’s Garage Gas Camping on Route 66 in rural Oklahoma. One day a handsome but mysterious Texan comes along and stays for a few days. When Andy lands in the hospital after being attacked by a rabid animal, the Texan stays to help Leona. When people attack Leona’s reputation and tragedy strikes on their stretch of Route 66 the Texan protects and defends Leona. Will love prevail?
Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John
New York, NY: Viking Press, 1939, 1958.
[Also available in alternative formats - see Media section]
Set in the dustbowl era, with its mass migration of displaced farmers out of the plains and towards the vague promise of the Californian coast, it chronicles the Joad family and their journey along Route 66 from Oklahoma to California. It is in The Grapes of Wrath that Steinbeck coined the now familiar term “Mother Road” when speaking of Route 66.
NON-FICTION
Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road
Clark, Marian
Tulsa, OK: Council Oak Books, 2000.
A culinary history of Route 66 complete with recipes from food establishments that populated the highway, some of which are still in operation today.
Route 66: Images of America’s Main Street
Kaszynski, William
Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2003.
Illustrates the many historic sites and somewhat unknown places along the historic highway. A history of the highway is complimented with black and white historical photographs. A center insert contains 32 pages of color photographs.
Route 66
Kittel, Gerd
New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Eighty-three large format full color photographs take the reader from Chicago to Santa Monica. Interspersed are nine essays that provide the historical context for the photographs.
The Complete Atlas of Route 66
Moore, Bob and Rich Cunningham
Laughlin, NV. Route 66 Magazine. 2003.
Contains over 270 full color topographical maps with GPS markings to indicate the sections of the road that can still be traveled and the sections that are not driveable.
The Complete Guidebook to Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica
Moore, Bob and Rich Cunningham
Laughlin, NV. Route 66 Magazine. 2003.
The guidebook, which complements the atlas, leads the traveler step by step from Chicago to Santa Monica. For each location there is a brief background entry followed by the number of miles to travel from point to point as well as when and where to turn. If you are traveling from Santa Monica to Chicago then just flip the book over and follow the directions.
Route 66 Lost and Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited
Olsen, Russell A
St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Co., 2004.
Arranged by state each section starts with a brief history of Route 66 as it pertains to that state. Each one or two page spread focuses on a specific location giving a history of the business or small town. Historical and contemporary photographs, along with vintage postcards complement the text and illustrate the locations as they were in the heyday of Route 66 and as they appear in the 21st century.
Route 66: Lives on the Road
Robinson, Jon
Osceola, WA: MBI Publishing Company, 2001.
Explores the folklore and history of Route 66 from the point of view of people who have lived, worked and operated businesses on Route 66.
Along Route 66
Scott, Quinta and Susan Croce Kelly
University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.
An oral history and photo essay based on seven years of traveling Route 66.
Route 66 Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion
Snyder, Tom
St. Martin’s Griffin, 1995.
Provides travelers a detailed guide to the road starting at Chicago and ending at Santa Monica. It includes maps, anecdotes and historical commentary.
Route 66 Remembered
Witzel, Michael Karl
Osceloa, WI: Motorbooks International, 1996.
Tourist traps, filling stations, roadside food and motor hotels are the focus of the book. Two hundred black & white and color photographs capture the past and the present sights of Route 66.
FICTION
Bagdad Café
Video Treasures, 1993. (VIDEOCASSETTE)
An off-beat comedy about a greasy spoon and a rusty gas pump in the Mojave desert. A German tourist is abandoned by her husband in the California desert. In the middle of nowhere, she makes her way to the run-down, failing, Baghdad Café and Motel run by C.C.H. Pounder. The rotund woman quickly becomes a part of the eccentric family under Pounder's tough-talking rule. Not only that, her presence is the catalyst that transforms the forgotten roadside stop into a bustling business and a life-altering experience for all present.
Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John
Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 1999. (AUDIOCASSETTE)
Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John
Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 1998. (AUDIODISC)
Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John
Beverly Hills, CA: Twentieth Century Fox, 1997. (VIDEOCASSETTE)
Grapes of Wrath
Steinbeck, John
Beverly Hills, CA: Twentieth Century Fox, 2004. (DVD)
Set in the dustbowl era, with its mass migration of displaced farmers out of the plains and towards the vague promise of the Californian coast, The Grapes of Wrath chronicles the Joad family and their journey along Route 66 from Oklahoma to California. It is in The Grapes of Wrath that Steinbeck coined the now familiar term “Mother Road” when speaking of Route 66.
Murder on Route 66
Wheat, Carolyn, Editor
Niagara Falls, NY: DH Audio, 1998. (AUDIORECORDING)
An anthology of sixteen murder stories set along Route 66. All the authors lived in towns along the road at one point in their lives. Most of the stories are set in the past, prior to the modern interstate system.
NON-FICTION
A Journey Down Route 66
Palm Springs, CA: TEG Video, 1994. (VIDEOCASSETTE)
Michael Wallis takes the viewer on a cross-country adventure along Route 66, The Mother Road, revisiting tourist sports, quaint motels, and unique people. Mr. Wallis, who grew up on Route 66, has done extensive research and led tours on the “Mother Road.”
Route 66: 75th Anniversary Collector’s Set
Tumwater, WA: Pacific Communications, 2002. (VIDEOCASSETTE)
Martin Milner, star of the old Route 66 tv series, with the help of Bobby Troup, composer of the song “Route 66,” Michael Wallis, poet laureate of Route 66 and others, tells stories of the old road and the people who make it special. As Milner drives along the Mother Road in his Corvette the viewer sees the road as it is today along with film clips from days gone by. The six video set includes a guide for planning a trip on Route 66.
For articles about Route 66, see OCPL’s Online Databases. Here you can access magazine and journal articles, newspapers, and reference books 24 hours a day using your OCPL library card.
For in-library use of the online databases, please see a librarian
National Historic Route 66 Federation
A Route 66 site dedicated to the people who own businesses on Route 66.
Historic Route 66
Where the Mother Road meets "the Information Superhighway" The site is dedicated to provide free information for those who want to learn more about Route 66. It includes a turn-by-turn road description. There is a Route 66 discussion forum, and a Route 66 slide-show.
Route 66 Museum
Located in Oklahoma, the museum interprets the Route 66 experience.
Historic US Highway / Route 66 Web Ring
This web ring provides links to sites that pertain to Route 66 in the USA.
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There are hundreds of websites on the subject of Route 66. Below are links to the national and state associations as well other interesting sites with links to other sites. |
NATIONAL ROUTE 66 ASSOCIATIONS
National Historic Route 66 Federation
A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Route 66 across the country.
STATE ROUTE 66 ASSOCIATIONS
ILLINOIS - Route 66 Association of Illinois
A not-for-profit corporation dedicated to preserving, promoting, and enjoying Route 66 in Illinois.
MISSOURI - Route 66 Association of Missouri
The Route 66 Association of Missouri is a non-profit corporation established to preserve, promote, and develop Historic Route 66 ("The Main Street of America") in the Show-Me State.
KANSAS - Kansas Historic Route 66 Association
The association focuses on Kansas 13.2 miles of hospitality on Route 66.
OKLAHOMA - Oklahoma Route 66 Association
A not-for-profit organization made up of volunteers who are dedicated to promotion and preservation of Route 66.
TEXAS - Old Route 66 Association of Texas
A non-profit organization chartered in the State of Texas since 1991
NEW MEXICO - New Mexico Route 66 Association
A non-profit group dedicated to the preservation, celebration, and economic revitalization of New Mexico’s Route 66.
ARIZONA - Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona
A non-profit corporation founded in 1987 and dedicated to the preservation, promotion and protection of both the surface and memories of this beautiful old highway. Includes a free search directory for those traveling, doing research, or doing business on Historic Route 66, also known as the Mother Road and the Main Street of America.
CALIFORNIA - California Route 66 Preservation Foundation
The association’s mission is to develop resources for the preservation and benefit of the Route 66 corridor in California.