SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – There’s a new book out that focuses on the importance and history of Route 66 in this area.

Tom Emery of Carlinville, a freelance writer, authored “Stories from Route 66 in Central Illinois,” and tells the WTAX Morning Newswatch it may contain history you’ve heard before, and some you haven’t.

“Route 66 was so many things to so many people in daily life,” said Emery.  “It was used to get to work, get to school, go shopping.  People lived along 66.  The impact that 66 had on everyone’s daily life was real fascinating to me.  I got to thinking, there’s a lot more to this story of this route than just glamour.”

Emery says Route 66 was almost a proving ground, too, for building highways, because there were parts of it that originally downright dangerous.

“In many ways, the technology of the car out-distanced the technology of road-building, because roads were not particularly safe at the time,” said Emery.  “They had hairpin curves, curbing — which you think of on city streets, but early highways had curbing.  If you hit that in a car doing 40-50 miles per hour, it could flip you over.”  Emery said in that regard, Roure 66 helped design better roads.  But, he said certain parts of it could be described as “Bloody 66.”

There are also other stories in the book, including how the original Illinois Route 4 was tied to Route 66.

The book is available by contacting Tom.  It’s $26 total, including shipping and handling.  Click the link above to learn how to contact Emery.