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HISTORIC ROUTE 66 BYWAY signs are now up along Dunn Road on both sides.  This sign is in front of Johnny Londoff Chevrolet near Washington. Similar signs have been up along Interstate 44 near historical places where the highway ran for a few years. . Now they can be seen in Florissant along Dunn Road. A good resource book on the highway is The Missouri U.S. 66 Tour Book.

The Highway Once Called the Best Ran Through Florissant

For Joe Schulte of Florissant and other members of the Route 66 Association of Missouri it’s the beginning of the end of a long-campaign to recognize the mother of all U.S. highway’s that passed through St. Louis County and Florissant.

“Many people are not aware that Historic Route 66 ran along Dunn Road before Interstate 270 was built,” said Schulte, a long-time Florissant resident active in community service and historical preservation.

Sign are going up along Dunn to mark the sections where the famous highway ran from Watson Road to Chippewa, along Lindbergh to Dunn Road and onto the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which also bears the Historic Missouri Byway Route 66 signs. Several signs are already in place along Dunn Road in Florissant.

St. Louis is the largest city on Route 66 between Chicago and St. Louis.  The route parallels Interstate 44 from St. Louis southwestward to the Oklahoma border.

The U.S. Department of Interior didn’t dedicate Route 66 until 2006, as part of a federal grant to the state transportation department. But these signs are being paid for by the Route 66 Association of Missouri.

At one time Dunn Road was the main east-west thoroughfare used by truckers and travelers, Schulte said. While over the years, several St. Louis City and County streets were part of old Route 66, but Dunn Road was always part of it.

“Now more people will learn about it,” said Schulte adding that he hopes more folks will read more about it in such books as The Missouri US 66 Tour Book.

-Bob Lindsey

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