Route 66 and the Formation of a National Cultural Icon

During the twentieth century, Route 66 became a national icon and was commonly associated with classic American cuisine, road trips, and the golden age of postwar American prosperity. This conception, however, is mythic. The reality of Route 66 travel was congestion, danger, and racism. Route 66 and the Formation of a National Cultural Icon: Mother Road to Mythic American Byway by Daniel Milowski explores the divergence between Route 66 myth and reality and provides a critical examination of the cultural origins of the Route 66 myth and the road’s historical role in community development in the American West. Milowski discusses how Route 66 became so clogged with traffic in the 1960s that it garnered the dark nickname “Bloody 66” due to the high volume of serious traffic accidents. He examines rampant racism at travel businesses and racialized policing in many towns along the highway. Finally, he contrasts this with the myth of Route 66 which incorporates aspects of cultural nostalgia for supposedly simpler times while representing Route 66 as emblematic of a past “more authentic America.” Milowski demonstrates that the history of Route 66 and its towns is deeper and more nuanced than the Route 66 myth allows.