A Road Through History
How did you get here today? There's a good chance that you traveled along a route used by travelers for centuries. Nearby I-44 and the historic Route 66 follow paths used by American Indians for trade and travel more than 500 years ago.
In the 1830s, when Cherokee on the Trail of Tears used this corridor, Waynesville was just a small village. The town's proximity to early transportation routes helped it to grow. After the construction of a telegraph line connecting Saint Louis, Missouri to Fort Smith, Arkansas, people began calling this route the "Wire Road." During the Civil War, it provided the main route through the Ozarks, and troops followed it to skimishes and camps in the region.
In 1926, the road became part of Route 66, the iconic highway that linked Chicago, Illinois to southern California. How are you using this route today?
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The five-span concrete bridge you see before you replaced this metal structure in 1923.
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Early Route 66 travelers passing through Waynesville.
Erected by National Park Service, City of Waynesville, and Pulaski County
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the U.S. Route 66 series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 37° 49.642′ N, 92° 12.276′ W. Marker is in Waynesville, Missouri, in Pulaski County. It is on Superior Road south of Old U.S. Route 66 (Business Interstate 44), on the right when traveling south. Marker is in Roy Laughlin Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Waynesville MO 65583, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Missouri. It is also in the American Ozarks, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of
Also see . . .
1. Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail. (Submitted on October 16, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Laughlin Park & Roubidoux Spring. City of Waynesville website entry (Submitted on October 16, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Route 66 in Missouri. (Submitted on October 16, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 16, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 559 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 16, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
