The new marker is a replica of the sign that marked the end of the trail in 1935, pictured here (Santa Monica Public Library).
Road-trippers and history lovers have long argued where the westward end of Route 66 lies, but Santa Monica tourism officials recently took matters into their own hands. On Wednesday, November 11th, the debate was ended in a truly American way: by placing a signpost on the Santa Monica Pier.
The sign, which bares the Route 66 insignia and says "end of the trail," was unveiled at the popular tourist attraction. Apparently, Santa Monica tourism officials, along with the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, were the masterminds behind the idea.
According to the New York Times, James M. Conkle of the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, called the pier the "spiritual"—if not precisely historically accurate—end of the mythical roadway.
One of the original U.S. highways, the famed roadway wound through eight states, connecting Chicago to Los Angeles between the years 1926 to 1985. The route encompassed a total of 2,448 miles and has been called both "Main Street of America" and the "Mother Road" (a nickname coined by John Steinbeck in "Grapes of Wrath").
The road is well known in popular culture, having been popularized in Hollywood movies such as the 1969 film Easy Rider and in the song "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66", which was recorded by Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, and even the Rolling Stones. There was even a Route 66 television show in the 1960's, and the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars takes place on the road.
"Originally, the route terminated on Seventh Street in downtown Los Angeles, but was then extended to the intersection of Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards in neighboring Santa Monica," reported the New York Times.
According to legend, an end-of-the-road sign did exist at one point. The sign was placed at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue as a movie prop, but—just like the highway—the sign eventually disappeared.
Route 66 was officially removed from the US Highway System in 1985 and replaced by Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road have now been designated a National Scenic Byway, with road signs popping up that read "Historic Route 66" or "State Route 66" throughout Chicago, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.