65. Cyrus Stevens Avery: Father of Route 66

To celebrate the centennial of Route 66 in 2026, the very first episode of the year features the life of the Father of Route 66- Cyrus Stevens Avery. Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Susan Croce Kelly, author of Father of Route 66: Cy Avery.  More than establishing Route 66, Avery was a proponent of the Good Roads Movement and advocated for paved roads at the introduction of the automobile in America. Highlights from the show include: Teaming up with Quinta Scott in 1990 to write Route 66: The Highway and Its People Searching for Route 66 Avery's childhood Avery travels west in a covered wagon at age 13 Awareness of road conditions as a young pioneer Populariity of bicycles in establishing paved roads Avery pulls America out of the mud What did Avery get right? Replacing named roads with numbered roads Road construction and technology Need for proper signage with road travel Rapid growth of automobiles with Model T introduction Railroad perspective regarding paved roads Avery reluctantly accepts the number "66" for his road  Secretary of Agriculture in charge of road construction What did Route 66 get right that the other highways of the day missed out on? US Highway 66 Association established to promote the road  Proposing a 3400 mile coast to coast footrace along Route 66 The Bunion Derby puts Route 66 on the world map The Great Depression years Running for governor of Oklahoma Providing clean drinking water to Tulsa Avery's biggest achievement (not Route 66) Modernizing the Tulsa airport Reflection Importance of trip west for Avery in a covered wagon Replacing Route 66 with the Interstate Highway  1969 Highway Beautification Act removes local billboards Route 66 as a tourist attraction today Centennial Plaza in Tulsa honors Avery Newspaper Women of the Ozarks book