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LEGENDARY
ROUTE 66
The Kansas Ribbon of the
Mother Road
66
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The short sojourn of the
Mother Road through
Kansas is the shortest of any state at just 13.2 miles. But,
don’t for a moment, discount this brief journey, as in these few short
miles, there is more of the
Route 66 experience than any other dozen miles on the
Mother Road. This brief stretch of the road also provides a peek
at
Civil War history, the
Old West,
and the mining days of the tri-state area.
The
Kansas
Mother Road was completely paved in 1929 and was
never bypassed by the Interstates that sidestepped so much of
Route 66. Though the road zigs and zags
along section lines, the route is well-marked and easy to follow.
Heading out of Joplin,
Missouri,
you will see blighted land that looks a bit like a battle zone. From years of lead and zinc mining, the area has been left scarred by
this industry that petered out in the 1970’s. Referred to as
"Hell’s Half Acre,” there can be glimpsed a beauty in the devastation. |

Kathy Weiser, October, 2007
This image available for
photographic prints and
downloads
HERE!
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In
Galena
you can stop and see the Howard Litch Historical and Mining Museum
that exhibits the history of the mining industry and the terrible
union fallout in the 1930’s,
which left
Galena’s streets bathed in blood.. As you turn south on Main Street you will be on the road that was once
called Red Hot Street, as the
saloons
and bawdy houses stayed open twenty-four hours, catering to the many
miners of the area.
Three miles down the road you will cross
the Spring River and come to the small town of
Riverton
which houses the old
Eisler Brothers Store, built in 1925.
After leaving
Riverton,
you will soon come upon the Rainbow Bridge, built in 1923, and the
only one left still standing on
Route 66. Though doomed
for destruction, the
Kansas
Route 66 Association,
the
Kansas Route 66 Association convinced the officials of
Cherokee
County to leave the Brush Creek Bridge standing as a historic
landmark.
Fully refurbished today, It is in such good condition,
that you can still drive over it.

Rainbow Bridge
just north of
Baxter
Springs,
Kansas.
Kathy Weiser, September, 2007
This image available for
photographic prints and
downloads
HERE!
Old
Route 66 continues on into
Baxter
Springs on Willow Ave., turns left on Third Street and then right
onto Military Ave.
Baxter
Springs is filled with history from the
Civil War and provides a
great look at several
Route 66 vintage buildings.
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At the Heritage Center and Museum, you can learn all about the history
of
Route 66, as well as the
battles that were fought in this 19th century town that was
once visited by the likes of the
James-Younger
gang, the
Dalton Gang, the
outlaw
Henry
Starr, and Bonnie and Clyde.
Enjoy the
friendly hospitality of these
Kansas natives before trekking on into
Oklahoma!!
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated February, 2010. |
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The
Route 66 Shield is proudly
displayed on the road into
Galena,
Kansas
This image available for photographic prints
HERE!
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Abandoned Lead and Zinc Mines near
Galena, Kansas. Photo courtesy John Charlton,
Kansas Geological Survey
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See the
Kansas 66 Gallery of Pictures
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From the Rocky Mountain General Store
Custom Postcards
-
Legends of America and
the
Rocky Mountain General Store introduces our own line of custom
postcards. Utilizing original graphic designs and our own photographs,
these postcards are exclusive and can only be found here! To see this new
and expanding collection, click
HERE!

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