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INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographicaily in this copy. Higher quality 6’ x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. JOURNEYS ON THE MOTHER ROAD: INTERPRETING THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF U.S. ROUTE 66 PETER BRIGHAM DEDEK A dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of Middle Tennessee State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Arts May, 2 002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3042216 UMI__ ® UMI Microform 3042216 Copyright 2002 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright © 2002 By Peter B. Dedek ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. JOURNEYS ON THE MOTHER ROAD: INTERPRETING THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF U.S. ROUTE 66 Approved: D. Lorne McWatters, Major Professor ( c - t r y ---- Rebecca Conard, Reader Susan Myers-Shirk, Reader Thaddeus M. Smith, Reader Janice O. Hayes, rcler Department of Education 'zJUui cLchbuL&J • ^ r y r u j f l L s________ Thaddeus M. Smith, Department Chair o +jM l j L. Donald L. Curry, Dean, College of Gr^du/te Studies Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT JOURNEYS ON THE MOTHER ROAD: INTERPRETING THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF U.S. ROUTE 66 Peter Brigham Dedek Route 66 has two histories, one as a mode of transportation, and another as a symbol of the Southwest and twentieth-century automobile culture. While not the longest, or the first, American highway, Route 66 became the most famous highway in America. This dissertation studies the factors that made Route 66 an American icon and an object of nostalgia, analyzes the perceptions of contemporary Route 66 enthusiasts, and discusses the preservation and interpretation of historic structures and "cultural landscapes" along Route 66 for the enjoyment and meaningful education of contemporary travelers and students. While studying the historical basis for Route 66's popularity, this dissertation examines imagery created by railroads in the late nineteenth century to exploit southwestern myths such as "wild" Indians, "wholesome" cowboys, "lost" civilizations, "fiery" Mexicans, and the "forbidding" desert, to promote tourism in the region. The dissertation then analyzes similar promotional material Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Peter Brigham Dedek created by Route 66 boosters after 1927 and literature by contemporary Route 66 enthusiasts. This study compares the ideas expressed by today's enthusiasts to the perceptions of Route 66 travelers between 1927 to 1970, as taken from letters on postcards, to determine if current notions about Route 66 are accurate recollections or merely nostalgia. The research uses historic Route 66 architecture, discussions with individuals familiar with Route 66, historical advertisements, period postcards, motoring periodicals, academic and trade journals, and literature by contemporary Route 66 enthusiasts to support its findings. The study concluded that much of Route 66's present fame resulted from railroad advertisements about the Southwest, marketing by Route 66 businesses, and promotion by contemporary Route 66 enthusiasts. Literature, such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Bobby Troupe's song "Route 66," and the CBS television show Route 66, also contributed to Route 66's popularity. The research found that recent enthusiasm for Route 66 vernacular roadside environments is, in part, a popular reaction against the monotony of interstate highways. Since many view historic Route 66 as a powerful symbol and may have misconceptions about its actual historical significance, those interpreting the highway or using it in education should carefully discern the road's actual history from myth. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................... vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.................................. viii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1 2. "WILD" LANDS AND "TAMED" INDIANS: ROMANTICISM, RAILROADS AND THE IMAGERY OF TOURISM IN THE SOUTHWEST, 1869-1930.............. 27 3 . BOUND FOR GREEN WONDERLANDS : THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE VERNACULAR ROADSIDE, 1912-195 6........... 83 4. THE RISE TO FAME: A HISTORY OF ROUTE 66........................... 132 5. NOSTALGIA, REINTERPRETATION AND MARKETING ON THE MOTHER ROAD....................................... 2 08 6. CULTURAL LANDSCAPES: ROUTE 66 PRESERVATION AND CONTEMPORARY HERITAGE TOURISM............... 280 7. TEACHING HISTORIC ROUTE 66 IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE ROAD..................................... 335 8. CONCLUSION........................................... 371 APPENDIX 1.............................................. 384 WORKS CITED............................................. 385 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Andrew Gulliford, who started me down this dusty road, and equally, Dr. D. Lorne McWatters, who guided me to its conclusion. Also, I thank Sharon Vaughan for her help during our three-week trip down Route 66 in 19 98 and through the lengthy and arduous process of completing this dissertation. In addition, I thank the members of my committee, Dr. Rebecca Conard, Dr. Susan Myers-Shirk, Dr. Thaddeus M. Smith, and Dr. Janice 0. Hayes, for their guidance and dedication. A special thanks goes out to Dr. Smith, whose role in the final phases of work went far above and beyond the call of duty for a committee member I vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Historic postcard, map of Santa Fe lines in Southwest, ca. 1910......................... 3 2. Historic postcard, map of Route 66 ca. 1950... 4 3. Railroad advertisement, Santa Fe Railroad 1910.............................. 43 4. Railroad advertisement, Santa Fe Railroad 1912.............................. 44 5. Railroad advertisement for "Big Chief," Santa Fe Railroad, 1926.................... 46 6. Historic postcard, U.S. Post Office and federal building, Santa Fe, New Mexico, ca. 1930.. 55 7. Historic postcard, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico, ca. 1940............. 56 8. Historic postcards, Taos Pueblo and Wright's Trading Post, ca. 1940.......... 78 9. Historic postcard, El Navajo Hotel, Gallup, New Mexico, 1942............................ 31 10. Historic postcard, Hammer Motel, Kearney, Nebraska, ca. 1950.......................... 110 11. Redford's Wigwam Village, Cave City, Kentucky 116 12. Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona.............. 117 13. Historic postcard, State Line Hotel, Wendover, Nevada ca. 1950................. 122 14. Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona, ca. 1950..... 137 15. Postcard map of Route 66 with regional imagery..................................... 147 viii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 16. Historic postcard, Clines Corners, Clines Corners, New Mexico, ca. 1955............. 155 17. Historic postcard. Laguna Pueblo, Laguna New Mexico, ca. 1930....................... 169 18. Historic postcard, Central Avenue, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1954............. 178 19. Historic postcard, Indians dancing at Longhorn Ranch, New Mexico, 1966................... 182 20. Historic postcard, Wigwam Village No. 6, Holbrook, Arizona, circa 1950............. 186 21. Historic postcard, El Sueno Motor Court, Claremore, Oklahoma circa 1950............ 187 22. Historic postcard,