The Birth of Route 66 - America’s Most Famous Road

“Route 66 wasn’t supposed to exist — not like this. In this video, we go beyond the myths to uncover the political battles, bold visions, and behind-the-scenes deals that led to the birth of the Mother Road. From the Route 60 controversy to the man behind the movement, this is the real story of how America’s most famous road came to be.”**

🔎 *In This Episode:*
Why Route 60 was the original plan
The political storm in Kentucky and Virginia
The bold gamble of Cyrus Avery
The official birth of U.S. Route 66 in 1926
How one road reshaped America forever

🛣️ *Looking for your own Route 66 adventure?*
We’ve traveled Route 66 many times — and we highly recommend the *Route 66 EZ Guide* to make your trip smoother and more meaningful.
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(As an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you!)

📺 *Want more Route 66 content?*
We’ve created a playlist just for you — exploring the history, places, and stories that made Route 66 legendary:
▶️    • The Amazing Life and Times of Route 66  

🎬 *Shorts from this episode*
For deeper dives into some of the geekier facts and forgotten moments from this video, check out our Route 66 shorts:
• How Highway Are Numbered.    • Cracking the Code: U.S. Highway Numbers Ex...  
• What are highways made of
• Why Route 66 Was Plan B
(Links added as each short goes live!)

🐾 *And yes, our cat — the channel’s micromanager — supervised every frame of this edit.*

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📜 Birth of Route 66 Image & Photo Credits
All images used under fair use or public domain where applicable. When attribution is required, it is listed below.

🗺️ Maps and Highway Materials
Historic U.S. Highway Map showing Route 66 – Courtesy of David Rumsey Map Collection (public domain)

AASHO Route Numbering Map, 1925 Draft – National Archives

Proposed U.S. Highway System, 1925 & 1926 editions – U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (Public domain)

📷 Historical Figures & Events
Cyrus Avery portrait – Oklahoma Historical Society (Used with permission/public domain as applicable)

John Page and the Missouri delegation – Missouri State Archives

Springfield, MO “Birthplace” photo recreation – [Image by Scott Nicholson, all rights reserved]

Angry delegation caricature (Virginia/Kentucky vs. Avery) – AI-assisted composite, image credit: Scott Nicholson, Beyond the Exit

🛣️ Road Scenes & Infrastructure
Pre-1930s concrete roadbed construction photo – Library of Congress

Bridge over Chain of Rocks, early design photo – Historic American Engineering Record (HAER)

Santa Fe Trail overlap signage – New Mexico Department of Transportation Archives

📰 News & Ephemera
Newspaper clippings showing Route 60 vs. 66 dispute headlines – Newspapers.com (used under fair use)

AASHO meeting minutes photo snippets – University of Michigan Transportation Library

🎨 Thumbnails & Artwork
“Birth of the Mother Road” cover art – Original thumbnail designed by Scott Nicholson, using AI-generated composite from ChatGPT and enhanced in Photoshop

Badge alteration art (Route 60 crossed out, replaced with 66) – Concept art by Scott Nicholson (AI-enhanced illustration via ChatGPT tools)

🎥 Modern Footage & Photography
All modern-day road footage, map overlays, and location stills filmed or photographed by Scott & Kim Nicholson unless otherwise noted.

Some artistic recreations enhanced or generated via DALL·E under Scott’s direction for educational use.