Route 66 – it has become a symbol of an entire era, a haven for bandits and a witness to a turning point in the history of the most powerful country in the world. Films, novels and cult songs were dedicated to her. You must have heard of her.
In the fall of 1926, Cyrus Stevens Avery, an Oklahoma public figure, learns that his grand plan, backed by four colleagues from the Motor Vehicle Promotion Committee, is finally coming to fruition. November 11 Road 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles, officially becomes a transcontinental road. There is something to celebrate! 3939 kilometers, eight states and three time zones. Avery is quick to call her father. And rightly so, because for years he tried to convince the government that such a route would strengthen the country’s economy.
Free-roaming farmers and traders are one thing. New villages, gas stations, workshops, shops, motels and cafes are the second. Did Avery, in his vision, foresee that he would contribute to creating the most important route through the United States?
Smelly Bow
Jackson Boulevard in Chicago is where Highway 66 begins. The Adams Street sign is one of the most photographed in the world. This is where the story began. Chicago means stinky onion in the Algonquian Indian language. Lake Michigan on one side, river arteries on the other. The fact that it was marshland certainly added to the stench.
In 1818, there were only a few settlers who welcomed the fact that Illinois was about to join the Union. On August 26, 1818, it was declared the 21st state. And then everything happened very quickly.
In less than twenty years, it turned out that the “Onion City” is located in such an ideal place that it can greatly contribute to the development of the economy of the entire state. In 1848, a canal was dug to connect Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, which in turn emptied into the Mississippi River. The first railway station, the station of the Union State, was also opened.
Right next to Jackson Boulevard, it was in the middle of the busiest car traffic – the reason was very simple. Only here, trams and trolleybuses did not violate the traffic order, since the boulevard belonged to the city’s landscaping department. Cars could move quickly and without the need to maneuver between public transport. Therefore, in 1926, Jackson Boulevard was designated as the now-famous Route 66, and it became the place that Cyrus Avery fought so hard to recognize.
If God made omelettes
Lou Mitchell’s famous diner at 565 Jackson Boulevard opened in 1923. She treated soldiers returning from World War II to the famous “jumbo omelets” and became the heroine of the road anthem – the song “Get Your Kicks on Route Sixty Six” by the Bobby Troupe.
One of the most famous food guides in the world, the Zagat Survey, describes the restaurant this way: “If God made omelettes, they would taste just like Lou Mitchell’s.”
Chicago in the 1920s was vibrant with places to sit, have coffee, talk about the weather or politics, and eat well. Few people know that diner-type restaurants, i.e. with a distinctive open kitchen in the middle and a bar where a smiling waitress pours coffee without even asking the guests for their opinion, were created thanks to founder Lou Mitchell.
The Greek immigrant John Raklios was called the king of the dining room. According to local sources, this flashy Greek with a strong temperament boldly pointed out their mistakes to local restaurateurs and undertook to enlighten them. He quickly became an authority, teaching locals how to attract guests with homemade, simple food, build relationships with customers, and create an environment that makes local drivers feel at home.
Raklios was an excellent cook and had charisma. As reported in the Janesville Daily Gazette on November 20, 1957, he arrived in the States with only six dollars in his pocket and began working as a janitor. He opened the first microscopic eatery in 1905. And she attracted customers very quickly because they served delicious omelettes.
It has become one of the most recognizable brands in Chicago. And although fate turned against the Greek, who first had a serious car accident and lost his fortune in 1937 as a result of the crisis, the culture of local eateries has taken root in the States, and Lou Mitchell’s omelettes are among the most famous in the world.
Lincoln
On Highway 66, less than two hundred kilometers from Chicago, is the city of Pontiac. In front of the town hall, Abraham Lincoln meets people passing by, leaning against the fence, with his overcoat loosely thrown over his arm and his hat dropped on one of the railings.
It was here that the sixteenth president began his career, earning the nickname “Honest Abe”: When he happened to spend change incorrectly, he ran across town to get the money back. Another time, he did not add the product by mistake, so he took an extra package for the customer. Later, as an attorney, he became famous for not blaming the poor. He convinced the people who were arguing to come to an agreement instead of going to court, even though he was losing his fee.
The worship of Lincoln extends to all the surrounding towns, where the future head of state took his first legal steps.
The town of Lincoln on Highway 66 got its name before Honest Abe was famous. The townspeople didn’t have the money to pay a benevolent lawyer to help with the lots. New settlements along the busiest route were blooming like mushrooms after rain, and a lawyer was indispensable. The settlers suggested that they name the city after the helpful Abe in gratitude.
Apparently, Lincoln said at the time that he didn’t know anything of value that he called Lincoln and took the idea with a grain of salt, given the seriousness of the locals. He christened the sign “Welcome to Lincoln” by dousing it with watermelon juice and then spitting the fruit pits at the feet of the villagers, providing a legal formula for its name. Therefore, the symbol of the city and a must-visit point on the 66th route is the watermelon monument in the city.
However, the president’s connections with the famous road do not end there. There is an office in Springfield where he worked, a Presbyterian church where he used to sit on his favorite pew, and a house where he lived from 1844 to 1861. Therefore, Highway 66 is often referred to as the “Lincoln Highway”.
Jesse James Cave
As tourists on Highway 66 pass St. Louis, the birthplace of America’s most famous Budweiser beer and America’s finest kosher ice cream served at Ted Drews, they find themselves in one of the darkest spots on the famous route. In the vicinity of the Meramec Caves, shrouded in legends and the setting for the novels of the best American pop culture writers such as Harlan Coben or Stephen King.
In 1861-1865, i.e. during the Civil War, powder magazines were located in the caves. Very soon the long corridors became an attractive haven for runaway slaves.
In 1874, Jesse James himself hid in Meramek with his brother Frank. They also probably hid loot from raids on trains and stagecoaches. When the famous gangster was shot dead in 1882, the caves became the destination for all the treasure hunters who are hungry for glory. Local farmer Lester Dill quickly saw the potential for business. He bought the caves and created a tourism empire.
Section of former Route 66 in Arizona
In 1944, he persuaded his son-in-law to go with a friend to New York and climb the Empire State Building with a friend. The gentlemen were dressed in suits imitating the skin of a leopard. Hanging from the skyscraper, they threatened to jump down and kill themselves if people from all over the world did not go to the Meramek caves. Although the “live advertisers” spent nine days in a New York prison after being “dragged” from a skyscraper, the spectacle paid off – the whole of America started talking about the caves.
Around the same time, Dill met a supposed centenarian who introduced himself as Jesse Frank Dalton while visiting his cave estates. And he claimed that he used to be known as Jesse James – one of America’s most notorious gangsters and shooters!
Motel for Nat King Cole
Another historic site along the route is Alberta’s Hotel, founded by African-American Alta Ora as a tribute to music. Years of swing, jazz and blues contributed to the journey along Route 66.
People from Chicago to Los Angeles craved rhythmic and energetic sounds. Nat King Cole traveled with his group, sought after by restaurateurs and hoteliers. His performances attracted audiences and guaranteed him a permanent place in the history of world music. Unfortunately, black musicians could not eat and sleep in the same places as whites. This problem is well illustrated by the Green Book.
Alberta Ora, then an energetic African American and Cole’s biggest fan, said it couldn’t go on like this. In 1946, she bought a huge derelict hospital building in Springfield and told her family that she would create the first hotel for people of color on Route 66. With the help of her family, neighbors, and a local pastor, she created a veritable enclave of African-American culture.
Ten years after opening, the Alberta Hotel was the highest-grossing business center on the Black Route 66 map. Barbershop, dance club, diner, hotel—in Alberta, you could get your hair done, eat pumpkin pie, and dance until you drop. the rhythm of the biggest hits. Among the regulars were the greatest black musicians of the day, including the host’s favorite Cole. Basketball players from the Harlam Globetrotters also frequented the hotel.
Soon Alberta’s most famous nightclub opened on Highway 66, Crystal Palace, dedicated to blues music. It was visited by stars, but each of the musicians could enter with their instrument and join impromptu concerts, which invariably took place every night until 1964.
