The State Historical Society of Missouri is hitting the pavement this year to commemorate the centennial of Route 66. It began with an official telegram sent from the Colonial Hotel in Springfield on April 30, 1926, accepting the number “66” for the soon-to-be famous highway. Missouri played an important role in the development of the highway through the efforts of Cyrus Avery, Oklahoma’s highway commissioner, and John Woodruff, a Springfield attorney, who advocated for a new federal highway that would stretch 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.
To mark the centennial, the State Historical Society looks back on this national icon to understand the places and people who traveled from afar or lived or ran businesses along the Mother Road. A new exhibition, Through the Windshield: Missouri’s Route 66, offers a view of 20th century history and culture in Missouri. This 90-foot-wide display at SHSMO’s headquarters in Columbia, Mo., is open to the public during its regular visiting hours. Many of the images in the exhibit are less well known, some recently acquired as part of SHSMO’s growing collection of Route 66.
SHSMO is offering Route 66 programs, virtual and in person, throughout 2026. A free online speaker series hosted by Research Route 66, a national organization helping the public to learn about the iconic highway. On March 10 at noon, Katie Seale, coordinator of the SHSMO Rolla and Springfield research centers will present Telling Missouri’s Route 66 Story at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia as part of the monthly History on Elm series, which is free and open to the public.
“For the past 100 years, Route 66 has been such a major part of not only the nation’s story, but Missouri’s as well,” said Seale. “It is a privilege to showcase the stories of Missourians who lived and worked along the road and to shine a light on our state’s Route 66 legacy. Through exhibitions and programs, we bring unique stories to people across the nation and the world during this centennial year. It’s an exciting time to be part of this commemoration!”
A monthly webinar series, Asphalt to Archives: Telling the Missouri Route 66 Story, will be held on Zoom from April through November. Join us on the second Thursday each month as SHSMO staff members discuss a wide variety of stories that occurred on Missouri’s portion of the Mother Road. The series is free, but registration is required.
The Route 66 Centennial National Kick-Off event is scheduled for April 30 in Springfield, Mo. The city was named by the U.S. National Route 66 Centennial Commission and the Road Ahead Partnership as the host city to begin the national celebration with stops long the famous highway. Learn more about the festivities at Route66centennial.org.
The public can stay up to date on the centennial events and projects on SHSMO’s Route 66 webpage. The State Historical Society of Missouri will continue to add stories, oral histories, photographs, videos, and more throughout the year.
