This photograph was taken on a red brick section of the original (1926-1930) alignment of U.S. Route 66 that is located between Chatham and Auburn on Snell Rd. off Illinois Route 4 in Sangamon County, Illinois. In 1926, this road segment became part of the new Federal Highway System when it was designated as part of U.S. Route 66.
It held this distinction until 1930 when Route 66 was relocated to the east in an effort to bypass more municipalities. This was deemed necessary by the Division of Highways to allow traffic flow through the state with less obstacles to slow the journey.
In 1932, the original Portland cement used on this segment was resurfaced with the brick surface seen in this photo. Brick used for road surfaces were most often laid over a bed of concrete. After pouring the Portland cement, the brick had to be laid by hand, a difficult, time consuming project. Records show no reason for resurfacing the rural 1.53 miles of Illinois Route 4, north of Auburn with brick. After the project was completed, this road was designated Old Illinois 4. Today the road and bridges, cross-section template, culverts and gradings are virtually as they were in 1932.
This 1.53 mile long section of the road in Sangamon County is known today as the Auburn Brick Road. This segment of Route 66 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It is listed on the National Register because of its value to engineering history, not its Mother Road connection.
Route 66 originally ran from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, a distance of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" and the Route 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It was also featured in the Disney/Pixar feature film franchise Cars. In John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939), the road "Highway 66" symbolized escape and loss. Other designations and nicknames for the highway include the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America and the Mother Road. US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 after it had been replaced in its entirety by segments of the Interstate Highway System.
Sources: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Illinois Route 4, North of Auburn; Sangamon Link: Auburn Brick Road, and U.S. Route 66 on Wikipedia
Tags: Auburn Chatham Sangamon County Central Illinois IL Federal Highway System Route 66 Mother Road Auburn Brick Road Illinois Route 4 North Of Auburn National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 98000979 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Explore #37 in October 22, 2023.
Tags: Logan County Central Illinois IL Rural Road Bridge Water Stream Creek Salt Creek 250th Avenue Landscape Atmosphere Shadows Reflections Season Autumn Fall Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 5DM4 Explored In Explore Explore
An empty county road that runs across the northeastern edge of Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in rural Cass County, Illinois.
Tags: Cass County Central Illinois IL Rural Lonely Road County Road 11 Landscape Atmosphere Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area Season Autumn Fall Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 5DM4
Explore #28 on October 6, 2023
Driving along a gravel road on a beautiful early autumn day in west central Illinois.
Tags: Rural Schuyler County West Central Illinois IL Bluff Road Gravel Road Season Autumn Fall Farmland Crops Corn Soybeans Clouds Sky Canon 5D Mark IV 5DM4 Explore Explored In Explore
Driving along a gravel road on a beautiful early autumn day in west central Illinois.
Tags: Rural Schuyler County West Central Illinois IL Bluff Road Gravel Road Season Autumn Fall Farmland Crops Corn Soybeans Clouds Sky Canon 5D Mark IV 5DM4