Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66 with Art

The Panhandle of Texas may not have the gargantuan populations of Dallas and Houston, but it does have a significant point of pride. It’s home to the “Mother Road,” the “Main Street of America,”—more commonly known as Route 66. The only section of Route 66 that cuts through Texas has Amarillo at the center of it; an honor Amarillo has solidly embraced and wrapped its identity around since the pavement was laid one hundred years ago.

Celebrating One Hundred Years of Route 66, White Shirt Art Gallery has commissioned a painting by beloved artist/musician Andy Chase Cundiff. The image encapsulates everything that makes Route 66 special to the Texas Panhandle: the open road, ubiquitous armadillos, the Amarillo skyline, Cadillac Ranch, and the dramatic sunset that fills our wide-open skies nightly. Andy’s painting is available to the public through White Shirt Art Gallery in a gorgeous poster commemorating this important centennial.

100 Years of Route 66 - Limited edition poster by Andy Chase Cundiff.

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Route 66 was established in 1926, stretching more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, connecting rural communities with major cities and creating one of the most famous highways in American history. The highway is a symbol of mobility, opportunity, westward expansion, and FREEDOM. Its nickname “The Mother Road” came from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, which described the hope of families traveling along the route during the Depression in search of a better life in California.

Route 66 entered Amarillo along what is now Amarillo Boulevard, bringing a constant flow of travelers, truck drivers, tourists, and migrants through the Texas Panhandle. Businesses quickly grew around the route, including motor courts, cafés, filling stations, dance halls, and roadside attractions that catered to travelers crossing the wide plains of West Texas. Amarillo became known as an important stopping point between Oklahoma and New Mexico, offering fuel, lodging, entertainment, and authentic Texas culture to people making the long journey west.

The stretch of Route 66 through Amarillo also reflected the independent and entrepreneurial spirit of the region. Local businesses embraced colorful signs, neon lighting, and western-themed architecture to capture the attention of motorists. Landmarks such as the historic Sixth Street district still preserve many of these original buildings and storefronts, providing one of the best surviving examples of Route 66 culture today. The famous Cadillac Ranch, installed west of Amarillo in 1974, later became one of the highway’s most recognizable roadside attractions and reinforced the city’s connection to the mythology of Route 66.

The romance and independence that Route 66 represents is still present and will be for another 100 years.