An old section of Route 66 north of Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places by the Kansas Historical Society.
It’s rare for a nominated property to not win the designation. So the inclusion is almost assured. It was designated part of the Kansas Historic Byway in 2011.
A description of the section of old road:
This segment of Route 66 north of Baxter Springs, totaling 2.1 miles, is located between the historic Brush Creek bridge on the north and Willow Creek on the south. The entire length of the historic Route 66 in Kansas totaled only 13.2 miles, entering Cherokee County near Galena and exiting south of Baxter Springs. Cherokee County opened bids for the construction of this portion of the road on March 12, 1923. This was part of a larger Federal Highway Project between Joplin, Missouri, and Baxter Springs. The Federal Highway Commission designated Route 66 as part of a new national highway network on November 11, 1926. This section of road remained an integral part of Kansas Route 66 until a bypass was completed in the early 1960s. As a result, the road has largely served local traffic and tourists traveling the old route.
The nominating form may be seen here.
The nearby Brush Creek Bridge also is known as the Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge, a popular spot for Route 66 travelers. That bridge, built in 1923, was added to the National Register in 1983.
Here’s a Google Map of the section. I’ve also included the Marsh Arch Bridge as part of it.
I am very familiar with this section of Route 66 and am so pleased to see it is being recognized.
My questions is:
If a section of the old Route 66 here gets National Register status, and as time passes, it needs a resurfacing or more blacktop added, will this deter its continued placement on the Register?
Some of the existing sections of 66’s roadway are so badly neglected, they have potholes and weeds sprouting in the cracks. Mother Nature can do great damage once an asphalt road gets little to no attention.