The Mother Load... I Mean Mother Eart - Oops Mother Road (Chapter 1 - 15, Option B)

Highway 66

The route of Highway 66 source

Highway 66, also known as Route 66 today, or the Mother Road coined by John Steinbeck in his novel The Grapes of Wrath, is one of the original roads of the U.S. Highway System. The highway was established on November 11, 1926 and runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California. It was established to allow the ease of transportation for all people from New York, New York, and San Francisco, California, and replaced the old Lincoln Highway, which was limited to the small group of wealthy. In addition of providing a highway from almost coast to coast, the highway curved to pass though rural communities allowing for farmers to transport their crops to the markets. 

Migration

A general store along Highway 66 source

A gas station along Highway 66 source

During the Great Depression, thousands of families from the Dust Bowl, like the Joad Family, left in search for better opportunities in California. Many, including the Joad Family, traveled on Highway 66 to reach California. It was the road for families to escape the problems of the Dust Bowl, leave their old lives, and head to new ones in California. While providing a convenient road for migrating families to travel upon, it offered opportunities for businesses to thrive.While allowing for mom-and-pop style stores to profit, it also lead to numerous businesses out to make a quick profit on the desperate migrants. Many of the migrants were poor, and often did not now much about automobiles, leading them to purchasing bad cars, only to break down quickly. This meant needing repairs only to be lead to more profit hunting businesses with low quality parts and to be stuck in a losing cycle. 

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