Route 66: Points of Interest in Kansas

When Americans fell in love with the automobile and over-land travel, Route 66, the Mother Road, was without question the most popular east-west thoroughfare. Stretching from Illinois, through the farm states, then through the desert, and finally to California, Route 66 represented a travel adventure, where the trip itself was as important as the destination. Celebrated in movie and song, this great scenic road that rambled through so many hometowns across the western states was eventually replaced by interstates, certainly faster and safer, but without some of the warm character that the Mother Road could offer.

Of the eight states that were crossed when one traveled the full length of the old Mother Road, Kansas has the shortest section. Cutting across the extreme southeast corner, through Cherokee County, Route 66 consisted of approximately 9 miles of Kansas road through the neighborhoods of three small communities that are now remnants of what used to be the world's largest lead and zinc mining industry. The history in those three towns are indeed rich, and travelers covering the old Route 66 will find at least one stop in each that will provide an excellent glimpse into the past, fascinating details about the local Civil War history, the mining history, and the glory days of the Mother Road.