Last updated: June 12, 2020
Article
Route 66: Kansas Places
US Highway 66, popularly known as “Route 66,” is significant as the nation’s first all-weather highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles. Explore places along this historic roadway as it passes through Kansas.
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The town of Galena sprang to life in 1876 when Galena, the natural mineral form of lead sulfite, was discovered there. Incorporated in 1877, Galena is the oldest mining town in Kansas. The road that would later become Route 66 was initially an important corridor for the mining network.
Not even 13 miles, 12.8 miles to be exact --that’s how long Route 66 is in Kansas. Despite its short length, the route passes through three towns that are rich in cowtown, mining, and route 66 history -- Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. In Baxter Springs, motorists will find a bold example of its Route 66 history in the Independent Oil and Gas Service Station.
Three and a half miles north of Baxter Springs, Kansas stands the elegant Brush Creek Bridge, the only remaining example of a fixed Marsh Rainbow Arch bridge left on Kansas Route 66.
