Cyrus Avery facts for kids

Cyrus Stevens Avery (1871–1963) was an important American businessman. He was also an oilman and a commissioner for highways. He is famous for creating U.S. Route 66, often called the "Mother Road." He was part of a special government group that planned the first national highway system. Later, he helped start the U.S. Highway 66 Association. This group worked to build and promote Route 66. Because of his efforts, he is known as the "Father of Route 66."

Early Life and Oklahoma Adventures

Cyrus Avery was born in Stevensville, Pennsylvania, on August 31, 1871. When he was ten, his family moved to Missouri. In 1890, they settled in Noel, Missouri. There, Cyrus got a certificate to teach in public schools.

He went to William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. He graduated in 1897 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, he married Essie McClelland. They moved to Oklahoma City, where Cyrus worked as an insurance agent.

In 1904, he moved to Vinita in Indian Territory. He started working with real estate loans. He also invested in the oil business, creating the Avery Oil & Gas Company. In 1907, he moved to Tulsa. He bought a farm near Tulsa in 1908. On this farm, he raised different kinds of animals. The next year, he started a large farm northeast of Tulsa. Cyrus and Essie had three children: Gordon, Leighton, and Helen.

Avery and the National Highway System

Why Roads Mattered to Avery

Cyrus Avery believed that a system of roads connecting different states would help Tulsa and Oklahoma grow. He was very interested in the "Good Roads Movement" in Missouri. This movement wanted better roads for travel and trade. He joined the Oklahoma Good Roads Association. He also led the Albert Pike Highway Association for ten years.

From 1913 to 1916, he was the chairman of the Tulsa County Commission. He helped build the Eleventh Street Bridge over the Arkansas River. This new bridge replaced an old wooden one. He also pushed for better roads all over Oklahoma. He helped create the Ozarks Trails, which were roads connecting St. Louis and Amarillo. After all his work with roads, he became president of the Associated Highway Associations of America.

In 1923, he joined the Oklahoma State Highway Commission. He helped create a gasoline tax to pay for road improvements.

Planning the Federal Highways

Avery played a big part in getting good roads at the national level. In 1925, the United States Secretary of Agriculture chose him for a special group. This group, called the Joint Board of Interstate Highways, was in charge of planning and marking new federal highways.

The Congress wanted a road from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Los Angeles, California. The original plan for this road went through the Rocky Mountains. Avery argued that the road should go south through Tulsa and Oklahoma City. This would avoid the high mountains. His idea was accepted. He also suggested the highway should go east from Springfield, Missouri to St. Louis and Chicago, Illinois. This was also adopted because it made sense for trade.

After the routes were planned, the group decided to number the highways. East-west roads would have even numbers. North-south roads would have odd numbers. Major routes would have one or two digits ending in "0" or "1." Avery thought the Chicago to Los Angeles route would be very important. He wanted to number it US 60. Many states supported this idea. However, Kentucky strongly disagreed.

The Battle for U.S. 66

The Virginia Beach–Springfield route was first called U.S. 62. Kentucky wanted a major highway ending in "0" for their state. They wanted US 60 to run from Virginia Beach to Los Angeles. They suggested the Springfield to Chicago part could be "U.S. 60 North." Avery countered with "U.S. 60 South" for the Virginia Beach section.

Kentucky threatened to leave the new highway system entirely. Finally, they offered a compromise. They would connect their highway with Avery's in Springfield and keep the number 60. Avery could have his Chicago–Los Angeles highway if he accepted the number 62. Avery didn't like 62. He found out that 66 was not being used. So, he chose U.S. 66 for the Chicago–Los Angeles highway. In 1926, Congress approved the Federal Highway System.

Promoting Route 66

In 1927, Avery worked to create the U.S. Highway 66 Association. This group aimed to get U.S. 66 paved and encourage people to travel on it. He became Vice President of the association in 1929. He tried to become president later but never succeeded.

Later Life and Legacy

Essie Avery, Cyrus's wife, passed away in October 1962. Cyrus Avery died in Los Angeles, California, on July 2, 1963. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tulsa. A street in southwest Tulsa, Avery Drive, is named after him.

Honors and Memorials

In 1997, the National Historic Route 66 Federation created the Cyrus Avery Award. This award honors people for great creativity in showing Route 66. It also recognizes groups for important projects to preserve the highway.

In 2004, the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma renamed the Eleventh Street Bridge. This bridge carried US 66 over the Arkansas River. It is now called the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge to honor him.

In late 2012, artist Robert Summers created a sculpture called "East Meets West." It is located in the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza in Tulsa. The sculpture shows Avery stopping his Ford car on the 11th Street Bridge. His car is scaring two horses pulling a wagon full of oil barrels.