Guest article by Chip Hunt
Coming from the east to (what was then known) as 8th Avenue travelled west and then doglegged through downtown to 6th Avenue. This was done because 8th Avenue ended not far west of Polk Street. They actually laid the highway through here in 1925.
The developer for this area of Route 66 knew it was coming this way and built the road to then specs for a highway. Then all they had to do was tie-in and pick up at the other end. There was no State Department of Transportation yet. So, if there was to be signage, each area had to create their own signs so they were all different. Around the 50's came the standard signs which have been copied since the 80's and sold everywhere. At the time the highway was finished and commissioned, Amarillo was considered the midpoint of the highway and only city it went through besides Chicago and Los Angeles. I know you think it is weird, as now there are cities like Tulsa, Joplin and such. At the time the highway was laid and started, these cities did not want the noisy, smelly cars going through their towns disrupting everything, so the road went on their outskirts and were later encompassed as the towns grew.
Around the 50's, 8th Avenue was expanded into the first loop around the city and then called Route 66 and this are became Route 66 business.
