U.S. Highway 6



History/Info:

The Grand Army of the Republic Highway (US 6 was given this name in 1948); Formerly: Theodore Roosevelt Highway). It was one of the original US highways commissioned in 1926 orignally going from Erie, Pennsylvania to Cape Cod. Supporters of the Theodore Roosevelt Highway wanted their highway to go across the nation, similarly to the Lincoln Highway. By 1937, they had acomplished that and US 6 become the longest US route ever known. Starting/Ending at Cape Cod, Mass. and Long Beach, Calif. On July 1, 1964, however, California shortened, or eliminated almost all of its US routes in order to recieve federal funds to build freeways (See: California Route Renumbering). In this manuver it removed Route 6 from the record books as being the longest US route (It's still the longest US Route, that doesn't split anywhere, meaning there's no the East or West sides of US 6 don't part from each other). Today, it still ends in the east at Cape Cod, but now starts near the Nevada state line in Bishop, Calif. Although one interesting thing is that the Grand Army of the Republic had a offical encampment at the end of US 6 in 1953 and there was plaque erected at the southern end of Long Beach Blvd. It's still there, although moved slightly due to the demolition of the structure it was originally on and is now near the Long Beach Preforming Arts Center. So to some extent, US 6 still ends in Long Beach, plus there are random old "Grand Army of the Republic" signs found throught Los Angeles, and the desert area. Also, can someone explain what would be bad for the government and/or state of California to repost US 6 to Long Beach? It doesn't seem too costly other than putting up the US 6 signs and routine work.


* Mileage/Cities Before truncation.

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