Confirmed: Depew was first town bypassed by U.S. 66

About six months ago, Frank Gifford of rt66pix.com found strong preliminary evidence that indicated Depew, Okla., was the first official Route 66 town bypassed by a later alignment of the Mother Road.

This past week, Gifford said he has confirmed that Depew was indeed the first Route 66 community bypassed, in 1928. He calls Depew “the original Radiator Springs.”

You may remember the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated feature “Cars,” which depicted the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. One key scene — with the help of singer James Taylor and songwriter Randy Newman — conveys the emotional and economic devastation wreaked on the town after it was bypassed by the interstate.

https://youtu.be/mUxACOJiz2c

The bypassing of Depew seems similar to Radiator Springs’ story — except it occurred decades before the interstate era.

With the help of transportation officials in six states where Route 66 traversed plus extensive research in Missouri and New Mexico, Gifford concluded that Depew was the first town bypassed by U.S. 66, less than two years after the highway was certified in November 1926.

Gifford wrote:

The town’s paving [of Route 66] was a giant horseshoe. The state bypassing happened so early because it was so easy. A straight line of pavement north of town cut the mileage by more than half. More importantly, it also eliminated four 90-degree turns on narrow concrete, two at-grade railroad crossings, plus up-and-down slopes of downtown’s small hill.

The bypass of Depew was completed in October 1928, according to Gary Ray Howell of ODOT who pulled construction records (for project FA136B) at my request. The Town Clerk of Depew confirms an important distinction — the new bypass was entirely outside the town limits. She told me: “That about killed the town.” […]

One road-related structure survives from this era: the Gimmel gas station. The owner confirms it was in operation before bypassing. It is architecturally interesting, built of stone and concrete (with a concrete pump canopy), and well-preserved. Period Sinclair pumps and signage would create an attraction.

Finally, Gifford makes this interesting proposal in his report:

The State of Oklahoma’s Tourism & Recreation Department, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Route 66 Association, and local groups, should consider the many road-related business and promotional opportunities Depew’s new status offers.

One possibility: “The Cars Corridor” on Route 66. In fact, it already exists, running from Tow Tater in Galena KS, past the Blue Whale, Depew, Pops, Lucille’s, three Oklahoma Rt 66 museums, to the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock TX, ending at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. It would simply need to be promoted with that name to the theme park crowd.

Oral history work is needed in Depew to document the Route 66 era, the aftermath, and how other factors contributed to the town’s decline. (A quick on-line search found almost nothing.) And a National Register application should obviously be considered.

Another Route 66 story can now be told. Disney/Pixar had to invent the bypassed town of “Radiator Springs” for the “Cars” movies and “Cars Land.” Oklahoma has the real thing and it’s in a perfect spot — halfway between Pops in Arcadia and the Blue Whale of Catoosa.

The only knock on Gifford’s idea is the inspirations to the Radiator Springs story come from a much longer stretch — as a post I wrote in 2006 reveals — than just 500 miles from Galena to Amarillo. But the abbreviated length of Gifford’s plan also makes it more accessible for weekend getaways.

Whether officials can use the “Radiator Springs” tag in tourism materials is another thing. I’m not a lawyer, but I suspect Disney may have some trademark ownership of the name and its use. The idea seems worth investigating, however.

In case you’re wondering, it’s certain Depew wasn’t the first town bypassed by a U.S. highway. A decade before U.S. 66, the Lincoln Highway was constantly realigned. From the beginning, engineers looked for ways to improve the safety and speed of roads. Bypasses were part of that effort.

(Photo of downtown Depew by Redforkhippie)