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Images of America: Missouri
Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks
Route 66 in the Missouri Ozarks picks up the journey west where its companion book, Route 66 in St. Louis, leaves off. As Bobby Troup's song says, Route 66 travels "more than 2,000 miles all the way." But one would be hard-pressed to "Show Me" a more scenic and historic segment than the Missouri Ozarks. The highway is lined with buildings covered with distinctive Ozark rock. It winds through a region of deep forests, sparkling streams, hidden caves, and spectacular bluffs. This book will take the traveler from Crawford County to the Kansas line. Along the way, there are small towns and urban centers, hotels and motels, caf s and souvenir stands. Take the time to explore Missouri's Route 66--it is waiting at the next exit.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 23, 2026
One of those cool books where you see photographs of so many vintage signs and roadside treasures that you feel transported to another time. Sonderman assembled 250 historic photos of each motel, gas station, and attraction along The Mother Road – the mythic Route 66! He focuses on the Missouri portion from St. Louis to Joplin.
“The road that became U.S. 66 was actually a network of Native American trails. In 1837, the state authorized a road between St. Louis and Springfield following the Kickapoo Trail or Osage Trail.” That route became a stagecoach route later and then the telegraph line was established in the same right-of-way. By the 1920s when national highways were being laid out, this route through Missouri was a key leg of the national highway known as Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 was emblematic of the great Western road trip for many decades, before being replaced by Interstate 44 and other major highways in the 1970s. It also looms large in the American mind due to being featured in songs, movies, and advertising.
When the route changed, hundreds of businesses along Route 66 either reinvented themselves or were abandoned. Sonderman takes the time to describe who built each motel or station and what became of it. I can’t choose my favorites, but some of the delightful and beautiful signs were the Wagon Wheel Motel, the 4 Acre Cabins, and Wrink’s Market. All of those are still standing in some fashion, at least as of a few years ago when the book was published. Some surprising things I learned in the book were that dozens of the businesses burned down over the years and that many of the lost businesses were replaced by national chains. The most common architectural elements along this Missouri route were the gorgeous natural stone fronts on the most ordinary of buildings. All in all, it was a fun and inspiring read for a sign and road historian like me!
“The road that became U.S. 66 was actually a network of Native American trails. In 1837, the state authorized a road between St. Louis and Springfield following the Kickapoo Trail or Osage Trail.” That route became a stagecoach route later and then the telegraph line was established in the same right-of-way. By the 1920s when national highways were being laid out, this route through Missouri was a key leg of the national highway known as Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 was emblematic of the great Western road trip for many decades, before being replaced by Interstate 44 and other major highways in the 1970s. It also looms large in the American mind due to being featured in songs, movies, and advertising.
When the route changed, hundreds of businesses along Route 66 either reinvented themselves or were abandoned. Sonderman takes the time to describe who built each motel or station and what became of it. I can’t choose my favorites, but some of the delightful and beautiful signs were the Wagon Wheel Motel, the 4 Acre Cabins, and Wrink’s Market. All of those are still standing in some fashion, at least as of a few years ago when the book was published. Some surprising things I learned in the book were that dozens of the businesses burned down over the years and that many of the lost businesses were replaced by national chains. The most common architectural elements along this Missouri route were the gorgeous natural stone fronts on the most ordinary of buildings. All in all, it was a fun and inspiring read for a sign and road historian like me!
June 13, 2022
90% of these buildings were turned into a Blimpie's Subs that then closed and was turned into Cash Advance or is currently a motel that you would never in a million years consider staying at. Depressing book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews