Route 66 Antique Metal
Highways Signs - Vintage, Nostalgic
and 100% Authentic
America's
highway, old US route 66, was once America's
most traveled and well-marked highway and
fondly referred to as the mother road.
Vintage
US highway metal sign markers along route 66 were designed to last
a lifetime and made of deep embossed, 16-gauge metal steel that was
enamel painted and baked.
Today authentic,
antique metal signs for route 66 have a
nostalgic value that is quite simply, difficult
to put a price on, especially if they are
vintage route 66 metal signs. These antique
metal sign products are like contemporary
art pieces of our early American heritage.
Today only about
85% of the mother road remains drivable
and old route 66 is no longer well marked
with such vintage, heavy gauge, antique
metal road signs.
Even in areas
where organizations and historic route 66
advocates have posted route 66 sign markers,
the battle is never-ending since route 66
souvenir hunters tend to steal most of these
antique metal signs.
A Short History of Historic
Route 66
Prior
to the construction of old route 66 in the mid-1920's, smaller outlying
communities had no access to our country’s national road system.
After route 66 was completed this all changed.
In its heyday, the small towns and communities
that thrived along old route 66 were passed through by thousands of
vehicles per day.
Then beginning in the mid 1950's the US
government built larger, faster divided highways that slowly bypassed
entire stretches of the old 2-lane US route 66.
Traffic on route 66 was lost to these 4-lane
interstate roadways and eventually the number of vehicles passing through
these small towns along the mother road dwindled down into the single
digits.
As an old route
66 enthusiast I remember traveling the mother
road in my youth. I remember those authentic,
antique route 66 metal signs. I also remember
seeing all the posted signs that informed
passing motorists of the numerous roadside
attractions, motels, gas stations, drive-ins
and unique diners like Alice’s Eatery
& Service Station (eat here and get
gas!).
After the last stretch of old route 66 was
bypassed by Interstate 40 at Williams, Arizona in 1984 the US federal
government decommissioned the mother road.
Today, like many
of the antique metal signs that could be
found along old route 66, most of these
vintage signs and the places they advertised
are also gone.
A few simply exist as ghosts of the mother
road lingering to remind us of a fantastic bygone era when mom & pop
diners, malt stops, motels, tourist courts and other roadside attractions
of every nature flourished and nourished our traveling America.
In the last decade the mother road has enjoyed
a revival of sorts and has since become a destination unto itself attracting
tourists from around the world.
Vintage Route 66 Metal
Highway Signs
Old route 66 has been immortalized in songs,
books, television and even film. Now you can own a piece of our great
American history.
Family owned
and operated Crossroads
Sign Company offers authentic, route
66 metal signs, antique metal sign products
that are made on the exact same sign fabricating
equipment, using the exact same dies that
were used to make the vintage route 66 metal
highway signs back in the 1930’s &
40’s!
These are not cheap replica tin signs but
are made of deep-embossed 18-gauge steel metal, enamel painted and
baked!
Why
not own a great piece of Americana. Choose
nostalgic, antique metal sign products for
any or all eight route 66 states including
Illinois,
Missouri,
Kansas,
Texas,
Oklahoma,
New
Mexico, Arizona,
and California.
Or ask about our
hiways
and biways sign package.
Crossroads also carries heavy steel, stock street
signs and parking
signs plus custom made personalized
aluminum signs and personalized
steel signs.
For more information
about antique metal sign products of old
route 66, the mother road, please complete
our Contact
Form, send us an email
or call Marty at
(541) 955-8468. Fax to (541) 955-8430
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