Historical Route 66 Increasingly Threatened By Development
LUDLOW, CA - JUNE 16: A destroyed cafe stands along old Route 66 on June 16, 2007 in Ludlow, California. Route 66 opened in 1926 to become an icon of American motoring freedom. It stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles and became a western migration route for people looking for work during the great depression of the 1930s or to escape the Dust Bowl disaster. Later it offered vacation getaways and driving adventures until 1985 when it was decommissioned as a federal highway. Today the motels, gas stations, and roadside attractions along the "Mother Road" are disappearing at an alarming rate. Route 66 aficionados try to preserve some reminders of the by-gone era ? restoring some buildings, collecting memorabilia, and erecting thousands of new signs that read "Route 66" - but most of the old landmarks are already in a state of decay or destroyed by vandals and neglect. Freeways, modern hotel chains, developer's projects, and even tourist attractions are blotting out the original reminders of the highway that inspired countless movies, books, and songs about life on the Western highway. Last week the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the old motels of Route 66 on its list of the 11 most endangered historic places. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
PURCHASE A LICENCE
How can I use this image?
₹23,000.00
INR
DETAILS
Restrictions:
Contact your local office for all commercial or promotional uses. Full editorial rights UK, US, Ireland, Canada (not Quebec). Restricted editorial rights for daily newspapers elsewhere, please call.
Credit:
Editorial #:
74799438
Collection:
Getty Images News
Date created:
16 June, 2007
Upload date:
Licence type:
Release info:
Not released. More information
Source:
Getty Images North America
Object name:
74562597DM045_Historical_Ro