Route 66 was established November 11th 88 years ago as of tomorrow.
http://archive.itvs.org/footrace/documentary/doc.htm"One of the first roads to be designated a U.S. Highway was Route 66, running from Chicago to Los Angeles. Cy Avery of Tulsa, known as the Father of Route 66, and a member of the American Association of State Highway Officials, wanted to promote the fact that a network of roads had been created to link the U.S. from coast to coast. Many of these roads were primitive dirt roads with no maintenance and no consistent signage. To calm people's fears about driving long distances, the idea of a foot race across the country was born. Surely if people could run on these roads, they would be safe for the automobile.
The man chosen to organize and promote the foot race was Charles C. Pyle, the "P.T. Barnum" of sports promotion. Flamboyant, flashy and more than a little unscrupulous, Pyle was known to sport fans as "Cash and Carry Pyle." Pyle's plan involved assessing each town along the highway a fee, even if the runners just passed through a town. He then proceeded to spend $50,000 on two double-decker touring coaches in order to accommodate himself and squire other dignitaries along the race route.
When a $25,000 grand prize was announced, men from all over the world, including prominent long-distance runners from Finland, South Africa and Canada signed up. Others who entered were unknown immigrants whose heads were filled with dreams of fame and fortune. Andy Payne's family borrowed $125 for Andy to enter the race and he headed off for the training camp in Los Angeles."
If you have an hour you might find this of interest:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/the_great_american_footrace
