Painted pathways

A PAINTED PATHWAY CONNECTING COMMUNITIES 

TO A CULTURAL STORYLINE OF ART

            The [International] Legacy Highway movement was set in motion with a brush in hand by Vernon’s own and world renown Master Muralist Michelle Loughery.   Initiated in 2006 jointly by a special and coveted partnership comprising of Stacey (her Agent & Confidant) and myself (Lorrie) a self proclaimed “Roadie” and Founder of the Canadian Route 66 Preservation Society (Incorporated in 1996).    

I’ve learned as I age that, the places we’ve traveled and the people we’ve touched and the souvenirs collected along the way becomes our internal map, an anchor, compass and treasure chest consolidated into our footprint, which is the “living proof of our true sense of being”.  The optics of our lifelong journey is enhanced in our minds by painted murals that come alive to express what happened in strategic places without having to read nor hear sounds.  The Storyline of Art conveys in a flash the equivalent of a guidebook within just a short encounter.  The Painted Art Pathways offer a voice of the townsfolk on our behalf to highlight their stories of which makes a particular townsite so very special & beholding.

A human archway is a welcome sign that adds a sense of place and comfort to our journey.  The legacy truly lies within the “now” and our sense of wonder is activated to edify the present leading the traveler to discover the mystery of what lies ahead…And through the windshield is a crystal ball to an amazing transformation of time travel. 

Speaking of time travel, Route 66 is celebrating its upcoming Centennial, on November 11, 2026.  The famed Mother Road lost her Official Federal Highway designation and was decertified by the mid 1980’s once the US Interstate System replaced the original roadway.  Hence, within a short time span, Route 66 became a shadow of itself in the following decade.

There’s an expression “what goes around comes around” and that holds true for Route 66. The Iconic Highway through the willpower of people, formed groups to preserve & promote the old roadway, and thereby continues to span the heart of America in pursuit of the American Dream.  A renaissance to revive the Mother Road gained steam and it remains a relevant  “Roadside Attraction” on the world stage.  

In an Artist’s eye, Michelle waved her magic paint brush [at the time] she was commissioned by the National Route 66 Federation to initiate the Route 66 Mural City project in Cuba Missouri.  A masterful compilation of mural artwork evolved to portray the township’s popular culture & historical storyline in a series of 14 murals situated right in the heart of the Old Highway.  The continued success of the Cuba Mural Project sparked the initiative for Michelle to catapult the Legacy [Painted] Highway concept to map the Art Dots and connect a painted pathway laterally on an international & circular scale to outreach across border into Canada.  

There is factual proof in the ‘Power in Numbers’ and The Legacy Highway movement is bound for greatness.  Leading up to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration in 2026, within the brush strokes rests the potential to draw a purposeful place to pay homage to our Canadian Heritage in the breadth of a Legacy {Painted Highway} for the world to behold.  

My story shall be empowered as this Painted Pathway proceeds.

Moved by this Moment in Time,

Lorrie Fleming

Scribed on October 17, 2024

Footnotes:

• Fact Finding Information on US Numbered Assigned Highway System to follow…Next Page…

• Route 66 National Historic Trail Strives for Passage in 2024 – Posted by The Road Ahead Partnership, in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Places, continues to work in support of the two bills currently in Congress that would designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail:
• In the House  – H.R.4338
• In the Senate – S. 2506

[The goal is to ensure passage of a bill by or before the end of this current Congressional term]

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• This legislation would establish the Route 66 National Historic Trail, to be administered by the National Park Service (NPS).  The Trail would include all alignments from 1926 to 1985 along an approximately 2,400-mile route from Chicago Illinois to Santa Monica California.
• NPS Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program:  In recognition of Route 66 to America’s heritage, Congress passed an Act in 1999 to create the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to offer grants, technical assistance and clearinghouse functions and pursue long-term priorities to sustain preservation efforts along Route 66.

Fact Finding on US Numbered Assigned Highways – November 11, 1926

Recognized as Components of a National System of Highways that is administrated by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the various State Departments of Transportation.  The US numbered Highway System (called US Routes) is an integrated network of roads & highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous USA.  As the designation & numbering of these highways were coordinated among the States, they are sometimes called Federal Highways, but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926.

These US Numbered Highways were initially designated on November 11, 1926, and extended throughout the contiguous USA (and beyond cross borders).  Prior to this, US Routes were designated Auto Trails governed by Auto Trail Associations who administered the main means of  markings throughout the USA.

Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd numbered with the lowest numbers in the east; and highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even numbered with the lowest numbers in the north and highest in the south.  Though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist.  Three numbered Highways are generally spur routes of parent highways.  Example US Route 264 is a spur of US 64.  Some divided routes (such as US19E / 19W exist to provide two alignments of one route.

Summary:  In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, recommended by the (AASHO) worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads and conduct meetings to  explain & justify the plan; and a final report was approved by the Department of Agriculture.  After feedback from the States, the Highway Numbered Assigned System was approved on November 11, 1926 – A Special Day of Remembrance: Twofold – to honor the sacrifices of military forces and to commemorate the Centennial of our beloved Mother Road (Route 66) . . .{Lest We Forget}