Webb City prepares to celebrate Route 66 centennial

Webb City is making it obvious that it’s on Route 66 ahead of the 100th anniversary of The Mother Road in 2026.

Kyle McKenzie painted a Route 66 medallion last week on a piece of history at the east entrance to the city on the route. The concrete was the west support of a viaduct that allowed streetcars to avoid lengthy waits at the railroad tracks by rolling above them.

According to Jeanne Newby’s Webb City timeline, Mayor George W. Moore managed construction of the Webb City-Carterville viaduct in 1906 at a cost of $100,000.

The painted medallion is part of a Route 66 sign project WOW Printing has been hired to complete by the City Council. The project also includes a mural on the building wall by the Route 66 Tourist Information Center, which is already done, and a billboard.