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the name "Route 66" was invented by Bobby Troup in 1948 when he wrote the "Get Your Kicks..." song. Before that, the highway was referred to as Highway 66, Federal Highway 66, US 66, etc. See John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940), which consistently calls it Highway 66.

there is only one authentic sign out there that I have ever seen that says "Route 66".

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=AZ19620661t200660.jpg&search=66

this sign is from around 1962 and was made by the Mojave County Highway Department (Arizona).

otherwise, every other authentic shield has either the state name, or US, or both, or perhaps neither, but in no case does it say "Route".

Thanks. Interesting facts.

Not to cause trouble, but Bobby Troup didn't name "Route 66", in fact his wife came up with the name for the song not him.This was in 1946, twenty years after the road was named "Route 66". This is according to Bobby Troup himself in the dvd "Route 66: An American Odyssey". The Highway was named US 60 before it was changed to US 66. The state of Missouri in a 1926 roadmap first called their section of the highway "route 66", even though this section of roadway wasn't started until 1927. If one is interested in the "Mother Road", checkout the following DVDs/videos: Route 66: "An American Odyssey", Drive 66 (by the author's of Route 66: An American Odyssey and also Route 66: Return to the Road with Martin Milner. I also have the first 2 seasons on dvd(season 3 hasn't come out yet). Very few episodes actually took place on the highway. I myself have driven the road from CA to KS (really the other way around, picked up 66 in KS). Ofcourse this was during the mid 70s, when most of the highway was still in use.

Well, at least the Kansas US 24 won't be on ebay any longer because I bought it. Paid a little more than Agentsteel53's recommended $100, but it has sentimental value to me, so guess I'll call that intangible value. Good discussion, guys. Dave

i know this is not a highway sign but its cool.it must be early, its porcelain....theres one with a L & one with a R, probably left & right......i was just emailed these photos & i'm going to try & buy, however i haver seen them before.any idea on value ???thanks DT

I'll weighin on this since I've had, and sold, a complete set of US 66 shields. None said Route 66. From what I've learned over the years some were embossed and some not. Some had marbles but, also from what I know, only California US 66 had marbles. The sign shown above with an abreviation of Arizona, I think is not original but may be wrong. California also had the "shovel" signs with the bear on them for local routes

I do not think the road was referred to as "Route" before Bobby Troup and his wife. John Steinbeck called it "Highway 66", and in general it was known as "US 66".

It was certainly numbered 66 since 1926. And yes, Bob is correct that it was originally intended to be 60. The 1925 preliminary routings were shown on the 1926 Rand McNally national map, so that atlas shows US-60 going from Chicago to Los Angeles.

At one point they wanted to make both possible 60s (the one that became 60, and the one that became 66) signed as 60: 66 would've been 60N, and current 60, going to Virginia Beach, would've been 60E. The two routes would've met somewhere in Missouri.

They ended up settling on 66 for the Chicago route, and 60 for the Virginia one - and the two met in Missouri, but both 60 and 66 went further west. They met again in Amarillo, TX, and then at their final terminus in Los Angeles. So 66 and 60 met three times in total: Missouri, Texas, and California.

Ray,

other states besides CA used the reflectors ... I have seen reflectored Arizona US 66, from 1934 or so:

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=AZ19340661t200660.jpg&search=66

and also have seen New Mexico with reflectors:

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=NM19340661t200660.jpg&search=66

and Oklahoma but I do not have a picture at this time ... have not seen a reflectored Kansas or Missouri, or Texas, but Illinois used reflectors for other numbers ... see this state route 1:

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=IL19380011t300010.jpg&search=1

so it is very possible that they used reflectors on US-66 shields.

if you end up with something you love, then that is the best value of all

...I guess this is still on topic - when I was very small (3 or 4 years old - so it would have been in 1972 or 1973) I was with my parents at the Bailey's lake cottage...the occasion must have been a party or something...anyway, there was an old weathered plywood NH US 202 route shield hanging on a tree in the back yard...

...some background: my great uncle worked for the MD highway dep't, and had given me many highway signs to decorate my bedroom (still have them all, over 35 years later)...don't know how I managed the nerve (or why my parents didn't clobber me for embarassing them), but I asked the Mrs. Bailey if I could have the sign...!

...she smiled, and probably laughed, and said if I wrote and illustrated a story for her, I could have it...I wrote a story, of course, about a boy who wanted a highway sign...I think I changed the route number in the story...

...I still have that sign as well...

...I would really like to see the story that I wrote and drew...

that sounds about right ... NH used wooden shields for its state and US markers, between about 1948 and 1952. here is a state highway 101-C wood shield:

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=NH19481011t301013.jpg&search=101

I alas do not have any photos of woodUS shields offhand, but here is a US marker you may enjoy:

http://shields.aaroads.com/show.php?image=NH19481021t201020.jpg&search=102

it is from about 1953, and it says US-102 ... it is supposed to be state highway 102! the square, not the shield shape - they made a mistake! One of very few cutout US shields I know of that are an error for a state route - I know of 6 total: four from North Dakota, that really liked screwing up, and the NH US 102, and a California bear 60 (instead of US-60)

...interesting...the one I have does not have a reflective surface, it's just white paint, with everything in black but the route number silkscreened...the route number was hand-painted...I'm guessing that would be an earlier sign than the reflective ones?

...also - would the dates for the use of plywood by NH for their US route shields translate to other plywood NH highway signs?

Very cool site with the state signs. I have an Arkansas 85 state shaped sign I didnt see on your site. If you would like a picture of it send me a pm. I may have more. I know I have 64 and 65 but you do also.

I have bought a few US highway signs in the past. In fact, I got a few from agentstee53. I am no expert on US highway signs.
It is a specialty in itself. They are some hardcore collectors. They certainly are fun and interesting to collect. These are a part of US history.

One trivia fact. Approx. 125,000 miles of US highway have been built since the late 1920's but only 43,000 miles of interstate have been built to date. Most of these US highways were built before the interstate system. Yet, we cannot maintain what has been already built due to cost. Think what it would cost to build them today!!

Most of the pre-WWII are sought after. Prices vary widely not only with condition - but by state. For instance, a US highway sign from Utah is worth much more then a WY. Mississippi are worth allot since only a few survived.

I recently bought an Idaho 30N. It is a great sign for my office. I believe it dates to aprrox. 1949 - it is brown in color and the only one known. Agentstee53 knows more about this.

Of course, an original US 66 sign from the 1930's (not the later signs) is worth quite a bit - they can bring $3000+ without cateyes. Early AZ state route markers with certain markings can even be worth more.

Some of the early state signs have interesting designs e.g. 1930's Nebraska. I just missed buying one at the Iowa Gas show. Someone else beat me to it!


Any US/State sign experts wish to comment - and really fill us in?

Al

hmm, I believe NH used the plywood from 1945 (just after the war) to 1952; when they switched to metal signs. In 1948 they switched fonts from the square fonts to the round ones, but kept making the wooden signs. This is for US shields, state shields, and other signs like stop sign and diamonds ....

I believe NH introduced the reflective sheeting in 1952 when they went to the metal signs; the wood signs are all non-reflective.