Cyrus Stevens Avery (1871–1963) was known as the "Father of Route 66". He created the route while appointed to a federal board to create the Federal Highway System, then pushed for the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to pave and promote the highway. The following alphabetical lists includes men and women commonly known as the father or mother of something. ... U.S. Highway 66 or Route 66 was a highway in the U.S. Highway system. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The U.S. Highway 66 Association was organized in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1927. ...

He was born in Pennsylvania and his family moved to Oklahoma (then Indian Territory) when he was 14. He graduated from William Jewell College, married, then moved to Oklahoma City to be an insurance agent. In 1904, he moved again to Vinita, Oklahoma, where he invested in the oil industry. In 1907, he moved again to Tulsa. He became impressed with the Good Roads Movement going on in Missouri and got himself elected as chairman of the Tulsa County Commission and began pushing for a state-wide improvement of roads. He eventually became involved in the creation of the Ozarks Trails, a system of roads connecting St. Louis and Amarillo, Texas. After working with creating more roads, he was elected president of the Associated Highway Associations of America and in 1923 was appointed to the State Highway Commission in Oklahoma. He eventually became associated with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong Southern, Western, and Midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... Indian Territory in 1836 Indian Territory in 1891 Indian Territory, also known as Indian Country, Indian territory or the Indian territories, was the land set aside within the United States for the use of American Indians (Native Americans). The general borders were set by the Indian Intercourse Act of 1834. ... William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,168 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri. ... Downtown Oklahoma City The State Capitol of Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vinita is a city located in Craig County, Oklahoma. ... The Oil industry brings to market what is currently considered the lifeblood of nearly all other industry, if not industrialized civilization itself. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma, USA. As of the revised 2004 census report, the city had a total population of 387,807, with 930,842 in the greater metro area. ... The Ozark Trail was actually a network of locally maintained roads and highways that predated the advent of the federal highway system. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Downtown Amarillo, 2005 Amarillo is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas and is part of the West Texas region. ... ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States. ...

He became instrumental in pushing for a federal level of good roads. In 1925, a board was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to designate the new federal highways and mark them. Avery was appointed to this board. 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture concerned with land and food as well as agriculture and rural development. ...

Avery and the creation of a national highway system

One of the routes requested by Congress was a road running from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Los Angeles, California. This road would follow what is now U.S. Highway 60 from Virginia Beach to Springfield, Missouri, continue west to Joplin, across southern Kansas, Colorado, Utah, turning south to Las Vegas, Nevada, then further south and west to Los Angeles. Avery successfully argued that to avoid the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the road should turn south through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, continue west across the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. He then suggested that this highway should go east from Springfield to St. Louis and Chicago, Illinois, as commerce naturally continued in that direction. This, too, was approved. The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish Los Ángeles , meaning the angels), also known as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... United States Highway 60 is an east-west United States highway, running 2,670 miles (4,300 km) from Virginia to Arizona. ... Springfield is the third largest city in Missouri. ... Joplin is a city located in parts of southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of Missouri. ... State nickname: The Sunflower State Other U.S. States Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) Official languages None Area 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² (15th)  - Land 81,815 mi²; 211,900 km²  - Water 462 mi²; 1,196 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Centennial State Other U.S. States Capital Denver Largest city Denver Governor Bill Owens (R) Official languages English Area 269,837 km² (8th)  - Land 268,879 km²  - Water 962 km² (0. ... // History Early history Native Americans have lived in Utah for several thousand years; most archeological evidence dates such habitation about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. ... Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign just to the south of the Las Vegas Strip welcoming visitors to the city City nickname: The Entertainment Capital of the World Location Location of Las Vegas in Nevada Government County Clark Mayor Oscar B. Goodman Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 293. ... White Goat Wilderness Area, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... The Texas Panhandle is a region of the state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th)  - Land 314,590 km²  - Water 607 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Chicago, colloquially known as the Second City and the Windy City, is the third-largest city in population in the United States and the largest inland city in the country. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ...

After the highways were routed, the group decided not to name the highways (as had been done by many non-profit groups which were currently connecting various state routes into longer multi-state and trans-continental routes), but instead to follow the pattern of numbering the highways, as established in Wisconsin and Missouri. The current east-west routes would be even numbers, and the north-south would be odd. Major routes would be one- or two-digit numbers ending in either "1" or "0" depending on the route. To avoid a "U.S. 0", U.S. Highway 2 was treated as a "0" highway and U.S. Highway 101 would be treated as a two-digit highway to expand the number of available routes north-south. Avery, arguing that the Chicago to Los Angeles route would be a major highway, numbered the highway US 60. This received support from Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri. It was outright attacked by a delegation from Kentucky. State nickname: Badger State State motto: Forward Other U.S. States Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Governor Jim Doyle (D) Official languages None Area 169,790 km² (23rd)  - Land 140,787 km²  - Water 28,006 km² (17%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,453,896 (18th)  - Density 38. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Southern U.S. state in the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... United States Highway 2 is an east-west United States highway. ... MAJOR JUNCTIONS JUNCTION POSTMILE I-5 LA 0. ... State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Official languages English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ...

U.S. 60 vs. U.S. 62

The Virginia Beach–Springfield route had been designated as U.S. 62 and actually terminated south of Ozark, Missouri at U.S. Highway 65. Kentucky would be the only state without a "0" highway. They countered Avery's US route by pushing for US 60 to run between Virginia Beach and Los Angeles; the Springfield to Chicago section could be "U.S. 60 North". Avery returned with "U.S. 60 South" for the Springfield–Virginia Beach alignment. Kentucky threated to walk completely out of the new highway system (individual states could not be forced to participate in it). Finally, Kentucky offered a compromise: connect their highway with Avery's in Springfield and give their highway the number 60. Avery could have his Chicago–Los Angeles highway if he would accept the number 62 which was originally assigned to their road. Avery disliked the number 62, found out 66 was not used, and designated the Chicago–Los Angeles highway as U.S. 66. In 1926, the Federal Highway System was approved by Congress. With this done, Congress also de-certified all the old "association" highways. U.S. Highway 65 is a north-south United States highway stretching from Albert Lea, Minnesota to Natchez, Mississippi. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Avery and the U.S. 66 Association

In 1927, Avery pushed for the creation of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to promote paving U.S. 66 and promote travel on the highway. He got a business connection in Springfield (MO) appointed as president. In the 1930s, Avery would attempt to have himself elected president of the organization, but he never succeeded. 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... // Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ...