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Several years ago, Route 66 promoter Rod Harsh began to observe that there were a lot of Route 66-Specific organizations, associations, clubs, groups etc. that also promoted the Mother Road and have websites with many interesting articles and photographs. These have become great places to research the Route and plan trips by those who are already somewhat familiar with Route 66, and perhaps have already driven all, or part of it. But something was missing.

Rod formed his own site, Visit 66.com, to promote the local region of southwest Missouri and all of Kansas. He also opened a Route 66 Visitors Center in Carterville, MO. which was operated for a year until the economy turned and caused him and his wife to reluctantly close the business. They did learn a lot from the many folks who stopped-in for a visit, and realized that there are millions of Americans who have little knowledge of Route 66, and have never considered the entire Route as a “vacation destination”. Why, because no one was actually “marketing” this concept to them. Without any idea of what Route 66 is all about, many told Rod that no one had suggested that they go online and learn more about it.

Considering the state of the economy, and a drop in interest for traveling to vacation destinations, Rod is convinced that now is the time to begin spreading the word about the excitement and adventure that a family could enjoy if they were to take a trip on Route 66, and he’s sure Route businesses (and their suppliers) would appreciate more business as well.

To that end, Rod is going to try to reach those “potential” visitors by teaming his Visit 66 promotion efforts with an organization that is immediately recognized worldwide as an authority on Tourism, and a source of related business information. That organization is known as a Chamber of Commerce, and virtually every town and city has one. There is also the United States Chamber of Commerce, representing those thousands of the local Chambers to the folks in Washington, D.C.. The problem is, it would be a challange to attempt to unite all of those independent Chambers and all of the Route 66 organizations, to promote their mutual interests.

Having completed many hours of research, Rod is now in the early stages of forming perhaps the first Chamber of Commerce to represent a “community” of businesses in eight states, who are situated on a two-thousand mile long historic highway, and whose success depends on outside marketing and promotion to attract new travelers.

Going back eighty-two years ago, the first big promotional effort began during the early days of Route 66 by a man named Cyrus Avery, who was a member of the federal board whose task was to create the Federal Highway System. Cyrus Avery reserved the number 66 for the new interstate road and he also established the “U.S. Highway 66 Association” to ensure financial and promotional support for his favorite creation. These efforts also helped cover the expenses for paving, and in 1938, Route 66 truly was the first fully-paved American highway.

Rod’s effort is not intended as a “publicity” stunt, but rather an example of the renewed worldwide interest in protecting and preserving Route 66, the highway that brought this country through the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and WWII, and helped many reach the their American Dream.

Persons interested in receiving more information may visit the Chamber’s new website, www.route66chamberofcommerce.org, to check the current status of this endeavor and provide any comments or suggestions. As you will see, this organization is not intended to be a “one-man” operation. It will be owned and operated by its members, and once up to speed, should reach instant credibility with other Chambers throughout America, and should attract thousands of new travelers to the Mother Road.

Rod comments that this is still a conceptual “work in progress”, and many changes and additions will be required.

The U.S. Highway 66 Association was organized in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1927. Its purpose was to get U.S. Highway 66 paved from end to end and to promote tourism on the highway. John T. Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri was elected the first president.

The organization was among many that existed before the creation of federal highways in 1926, such as those that promoted the Lincoln Highway, the National Old Trails Highway, and others.

The association began to advertise the highway in magazines, on billboards, and brochures. The continued push to completely pave the highway and complete an unfinished section (Watson Road in St. Louis, Missouri) paid off, the road was fully paved and completed in 1938, including a cut-off across New Mexico, bypassing a loop through Santa Fe.

In 1955, construction began on the new Interstate Highway System. As these new interstates began to replace longer and longer sections of the old highway, the group in 1970 changed its name to the Main Street of America Association and continued to stand as a voice for the older highway. The association published its last brochure in 1974; the brochure's cover referenced the new interstate highways that would lead to its demise.

In 1976 the association disbanded as US Route 66 was now largely concurrent with I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15, and I-10. In 1984 the last section through Williams, Arizona was bypassed and in 1985 Route 66 was formally decommissioned.

The association is not (officially) connected with the various Route 66 associations which currently exist to preserve the historic highway.

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