By Marisa McInturff, Greg Drevenstedt & Allison Parker
Before it was a road, Route 66 was an idea. The idea wasn’t just about transportation or travel; it was about possibilities, about the flourishing of the American spirit and free enterprise.
Route 66 became not just a road but a vital artery in the growth of America thanks to the vision and dedication of many people. And what keeps it alive decade after decade is a small but dedicated network of people who choose, often against the odds, to preserve its stories, restore its landmarks, and welcome travelers the same way the Mother Road always has.
Known as the “Father of Route 66” for his role in the highway’s creation, Cyrus Avery’s involvement didn’t end when Route 66 was designated in 1926. He continued to nurture Route 66 throughout his life, ensuring its lasting legacy in the American imagination.
Avery was born in Stevensville, Pennsylvania, in 1871, and his family moved to Missouri a couple years later. Missouri is where Avery grew up, graduated from college, married, and began working. He held many job titles throughout his life, especially after he moved his young family to Oklahoma. At various times, Avery was a teacher, sold life insurance, worked in real estate, and eventually became involved in the booming oil industry. In 1907, he set up the Avery Oil and Gas Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, kickstarting his interest in improving roadways.
Before the U.S. Highway system, roadways were locally maintained and to inconsistent degrees. They were often disconnected and poorly marked – all challenges for businessmen like Avery. He became involved in the Good Roads Movement early on, and in 1913 Avery was elected as presiding commissioner of Tulsa County, where he oversaw the development of the 11th Street bridge. He also worked with the Ozark Trails Association and served as vice president.
Avery was appointed Oklahoma state highway commissioner in 1924, and soon thereafter he was appointed to a board of highway officials tasked with developing a national highway system. This led to the creation of U.S. Route 66 – a federal highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles using existing roadways.
Joining forces with John Woodruff, Avery cofounded the U.S. 66 Highway Association in 1927 to market the highway and encourage travelers to use it. The association advertised the road in magazines, describing it as “the shortest, best, and most scenic route from Chicago through St. Louis to Los Angeles,” and with attractions like the 1928 Bunion Derby, a footrace from Los Angeles to New York City that followed Route 66 to Chicago.
Avery also worked to support his adopted town of Tulsa, helping to develop an airport, a park, a public water system, and more, while also running his family’s farm and staying active in politics. He died in Los Angeles on July 2, 1963.
Born in Salinas, California, in 1902, John Steinbeck became one of America’s most notable authors. During his career, we wrote 33 books, including Of Mice and Men (1937), Cannery Row (1945), and East of Eden (1952), and he won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”
Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award, is considered his masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. Set during the Great Depression, the novel follows the Joad family, tenant farmers forced to leave their Oklahoma home after drought, financial hardship, changing farming practices, and bank foreclosures leave them with nowhere to turn. Like thousands of other displaced families, they head west on Route 66 in an overloaded, dilapidated truck, hoping to find work, rebuild their lives, and discover a better future in California.
Steinbeck’s vivid description of Route 66 in The Grapes of Wrath established one of the road’s most enduring nicknames, the “Mother Road”:
Highway 66 is the main migrant road. 66 – the long concrete path across the country, waving gently up and down the map, from Mississippi to Bakersfield – over the red lands and the gray lands, twisting up into the mountains, crossing the Divide and down into the bright and terrible desert, and across the desert to the mountains again, and into the rich California valleys. … 66 is the mother road, the road of flight.
Steinbeck took a bit of artistic license with this description. Route 66 never passed through Bakersfield, which is situated in the lower part of California’s San Joaquin Valley, a vast agricultural area in the center of the state that was the ultimate destination for many Dust Bowl migrants. Route 66 passed far to the south of Bakersfield, across the Mojave Desert through towns like Needles, Amboy, Baker, Barstow, and Victorville before descending through Cajon Pass and making its way through the Los Angeles basin to the Pacific. The Joad family would have departed Route 66 at Barstow and taken the branch highway U.S. Route 466 (present‑day California Route 58) north over Tehachapi Pass to reach the San Joaquin Valley.
Such a deviation notwithstanding, Steinbeck’s widely read and beloved novel helped imprint Route 66 – the Mother Road – onto the American psyche.
No song is as emblematic of American road travel as “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Not only do the lyrics take listeners on an aural road trip along the Mother Road; the story of the song’s creation is a direct representation of what Route 66 became in the American imagination.
Actor, singer, and songwriter Bobby Troup composed the song while traveling with his wife from Pennsylvania to California in 1946, chasing his dream of becoming a songwriter in Hollywood. He wrote the song during the drive and finished it once they arrived in California, where he referenced a map to include the cities and towns they passed on the way.
Nat King Cole recorded the song in 1946 with the King Cole Trio, and the rest is history. The song has been covered and recorded by too many artists to list here. While “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” was Troup’s most widely known accomplishment, he didn’t rest on his laurels. He continued working in Los Angeles as a songwriter and an actor, appearing in numerous shows and films.
Bobby Troup’s journey to California and the song it inspired symbolize the promise of Route 66: Travel west, and your dreams can become your reality.
Angel Delgadillo, a humble barber in small‑town Arizona, played an outsized role in saving one of America’s most iconic highways from fading into history.
Born in 1927 in Seligman, Arizona, Delgadillo grew up along U.S. Route 66 during its heyday, when the road was a lifeline for cross‑country travelers, migrants, and small towns built around roadside commerce. After studying barbering in California, he returned home in 1950 to run his father’s barbershop on Route 66, serving locals and travelers who passed through the small desert town. (Angel’s brother, Juan, established Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive‑In in Seligman in 1953, and it remains one of the most iconic eateries on Route 66.)
Everything changed in 1978 when Interstate 40 bypassed Seligman. Almost overnight, traffic on Route 66 disappeared, and businesses that depended on travelers began to collapse. Delgadillo described it as a moment when the town was “forgotten,” with the once‑busy highway falling silent.
Rather than watch his community fade, Delgadillo became an unlikely preservationist. Along with local business owners, he helped form the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987. The goal was to convince the state to recognize and promote the remaining stretches of the old highway as historic, bringing travelers back through signage, storytelling, and tourism. It was the first official state‑based Route 66 preservation organization.
His efforts worked. Arizona officially designated its portion of Route 66 as a historic highway, and similar preservation movements soon spread across all eight Route 66 states. A road abandoned by the modern interstate system began to experience a cultural revival. Seligman, once nearly a ghost town, slowly transformed into a must‑stop destination for Route 66 road trippers.
Over time, Delgadillo himself became part of the attraction. His barbershop, later evolving into a Route 66‑themed gift shop, turned into a gathering place for travelers from around the world who wanted to meet the man behind the revival. He greeted visitors, told stories of the road’s golden era, and embodied the nostalgia and spirit of the “Mother Road.”
Now in his late 90s, Angel Delgadillo is fully retired from cutting hair but remains closely connected to the road he helped preserve. While he no longer leads preservation efforts, he still occasionally visits his former barbershop and meets travelers who come from around the world to hear his story. His family continues to operate the shop, keeping it a living landmark for road trippers, and Delgadillo himself remains a symbolic figure of Route 66’s revival.
Bob Waldmire was an artist whose characteristically overcrowded drawings became unmistakable Route 66 symbols.
Waldmire had an early connection to Route 66 as the son of the owner of the Cozy Dog Drive‑In in Springfield, Illinois. He spent much of his time wandering the country in his signature 1972 Volkswagen van, which is now located at the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, Illinois, and was the inspiration behind the Fillmore van character in Pixar’s Cars animated movie.
Waldmire sold his drawings while he wandered Route 66, and in 1992, he opened the Hackberry General Store in Hackberry, Arizona, as a Route 66 tourist information stop. He was an eccentric character who spent winters at his self‑sufficient homestead in Arizona. He was also a vegetarian and an environmentalist who sought to capture the beauty of the American landscape, flora, and fauna in his Route 66 drawings.
In 2004, the National Historic Route 66 Federation awarded Waldmire the John Steinbeck Award for his preservation efforts of Route 66. He died from cancer on Dec. 16, 2009. Fans of his artwork can still purchase his posters, postcards, stickers, and other work on his website BobWaldmire.com, which is run by his brother Buz.
Tom Perkins is one of those Route 66 stewards who doesn’t just preserve history; he lives inside it and makes sure everyone who stops in Gardner, Illinois, can feel it too. At the heart of his work is The Shop on Route 66, a small, bright red building that sits along North Center Street and has become one of the most recognizable and welcoming stops in northern Illinois. What might look like a simple souvenir shop quickly reveals itself as something much more. The Shop is a personal archive of Route 66 culture, a community gathering point, and a living museum shaped by decades of care and conversation.
Perkins is widely regarded by travelers as one of the most knowledgeable and approachable voices on this stretch of the Mother Road. Visitors consistently describe him as generous with his time, offering directions, historical context, and often a deeper understanding of the towns and landmarks that many drivers would otherwise pass without noticing. In many ways, the shop functions as a roadside information hub, where maps and souvenirs are matched with firsthand knowledge of the road’s past and present.
The building itself carries its own family history. Originally tied to a 1930s‑era lumberyard operation, it has remained in the Perkins family in various forms for generations before being transformed into the current Route 66 stop. That continuity gives the shop a sense of authenticity that can’t be manufactured.
Beyond the shelves of Coca‑Cola collectibles, vintage license plates, and Route 66 keepsakes, what defines Tom Perkins’ contribution is his role as a steward of experience. He greets travelers, shares stories, and preserves the idea that Route 66 is not just something to drive but something to connect with. In a corridor increasingly defined by memory, Perkins ensures that Gardner remains a place where the Mother Road still feels present, personal, and human.
Learn more about The Shop on Route 66 at TheShop OnRoute66.com.
Michael Wallis is one of the most influential modern voices in the preservation and storytelling of Route 66. While countless individuals have worked to restore physical pieces of the Mother Road, Wallis has done something equally powerful – he has helped preserve its meaning. Through his writing, speaking, and lifelong advocacy, he has ensured that Route 66 is remembered not just as a highway but as a defining thread in American cultural history.
Best known for his landmark book Route 66: The Mother Road, published in 1990, Wallis brought together scholarly depth and storytelling energy in a way that made the road accessible to both historians and everyday travelers. His work helped spark renewed national and international interest in Route 66 during a time when much of it was fading into obscurity. For many readers, his writing was the first real introduction to the towns, characters, and roadside institutions that still define the route today.
Beyond the page, Wallis has become a recognizable ambassador for Route 66. His voice work as Sheriff in Pixar’s Cars introduced him to a broader audience. While animated, the film drew heavily from the same landscapes, personalities, and mythology that Wallis has spent decades documenting.
Wallis has traveled the road extensively, speaking with locals, documenting oral histories, and treating Route 66 as a living, evolving story rather than a closed chapter of Americana. He is as comfortable in a small‑town diner along the route as he is on a stage speaking to historians and preservation groups.
In a world where Route 66 could easily become a nostalgic footnote, Michael Wallis has helped keep it relevant, respected, and continuously rediscovered. His work ensures that the Mother Road is remembered and understood as something worth traveling, studying, and saving.
The Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, has a long history dating back to its construction in 1928, but it takes more than an old building to keep the legacy of special places alive. Fran Houser’s efforts as owner of the Midpoint Cafe from 1990 to 2012 demonstrate that Route 66’s story is not over yet.
The cafe began its life as Zella’s, a one‑room restaurant feeding travelers on Route 66. It was expanded in 1947, and in 1956 its name changed to Jesse’s Cafe under new ownership. The cafe has also been called Peggy’s Cafe and Rachel’s as it passed hands after Adrian’s decline in the late 20th century when Interstate 40 bypassed the town.
When Fran Houser purchased the cafe in 1990, she changed the name to Adrian Cafe. In 1995, Fran changed the name again to Midpoint Cafe to draw attention to the stop as a tourist destination. Adrian is located 1,139 miles from each of the original endpoints of Route 66, making it the halfway point along the route.
Fran was well‑known as a welcoming presence who made visitors feel like family as she served up breakfasts, burgers, and deserts, including the cafe’s signature “ugly crust pies” made by pastry chef Joann Harwell. Fran’s hospitable nature was captured in the Pixar animated movie Cars in the form of Flo, owner of Flo’s V‑8 Cafe. As researchers for the movie traveled Route 66 to find inspiration, they found Fran and the Midpoint Cafe so characteristic of what Route 66 stands for that they included them in the movie.
Fran sold the cafe in 2012 and passed away in 2025, but her legacy lives on in the memories of the many diners who found good food and warm company at the midpoint of Route 66.
Albert Okura, a third‑generation Japanese American, grew up in post‑World War II Southern California believing deeply in the American dream – that anyone, regardless of background, could achieve success through hard work and determination. Although raised in poverty, he felt from an early age that he had a unique destiny to fulfill.
After leaving college, Okura worked a variety of jobs before discovering his passion in the fast‑food industry. Following management positions at Burger King and Del Taco, he chose entrepreneurship over a corporate career. Encouraged by his brother‑in‑law, Armando Parra, he opened the first Juan Pollo restaurant in Ontario, California, in 1984, specializing in Mexican‑style rotisserie chicken. Through relentless hard work, the business grew into a successful Southern California chain with more than 25 locations. Okura often said his destiny was to sell more chicken than anyone else in the world, and over four decades he personally cooked more than two million chickens using the same original recipe.
In 1998, Okura purchased the site of the original McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino and established a museum honoring the birthplace of the fast‑food giant. His passion for preserving American roadside history eventually led him to an even more ambitious project.
In 2005, after learning the historic Route 66 town of Amboy was for sale, Okura purchased it from Bessie Burris, widow of longtime owner “Buster” Burris. He promised to preserve and restore the town despite skepticism from friends, colleagues, and family. Founded in 1883 as a railroad town, Amboy later became famous for Roy’s Motel & Café and its iconic 50‑foot neon sign before declining after Interstate 40 bypassed the town.
Today, travelers from around the world visit Amboy to experience a surviving piece of Route 66 history. Even though Okura passed away in 2023, his preservation efforts, entrepreneurial spirit, and unwavering belief in the American dream continue to inspire others.
Even though it was decommissioned decades ago, Route 66 lives on in the present day because of people like Ed Klein, ordinary folks who dedicate their time to the preservation and growth of this piece of American culture.
Ed Klein is most well‑known for his Route 66 World online community, which encourages people to share, discuss, and ask questions about all things Route 66. Scrolling through the Facebook group, you’ll find photos from tourists visiting historic Route 66 stops, announcements about upcoming events, and more. The group acts not only as an enthusiasts’ community but also as a living archive of information and photographs.
In 2022, Klein extended his involvement with Route 66 when he and his wife, Stephanie, purchased Spencer Station, a small group of buildings in Missouri. The town of Spencer was abandoned in the 1910s but was reborn in the 1920s when Sidney Casey began building up the ghost town to support travelers along the new Route 66 highway, adding a new store building, a garage and service station, a cafe, and a barbershop.
When Spencer was bypassed by a realignment in 1961, it began to decline and was eventually shut down. Francis and Mary Lynn Ryan purchased the property in 2008 from the Casey family and began restoration efforts. As the current owner, Ed Klein is continuing restoration. The buildings need more work before they’re operational once again, but Klein keeps them open on the weekends for visitors to stop by and relive this chapter of Route 66 history.