Route 66 Map

Overview:

For a graduate level digital history course, I applied my thesis topic of collective memory and Route 66 to each of the projects assigned. The spatial analysis assignment utilized digital maps in interpreting large bodies of data. 

​Methods:​

Using the free platform Flourish, I combed through the National Register of Historic Places nomination forms for sites along Route 66 to find the latitude and longitude coordinates necessary to populate the Flourish map. Much to my chagrin, the the National Register forms use "Easting" and "Northing" coordinates instead of the latitude and longitude, which is what the Flourish map requires, so I used a conversion tool with which I could translate the information that I had into the information that I actually needed.

A lot of the forms presented legible information in relatively predictable locations throughout the document. Because the forms vary over time and across different regions, some of the information was unfortunately hidden and took longer to find, or had been entered by hand and was illegible, or--in one instance--the coordinates were simply entered incorrectly, positioning the site they aimed to preserve in the middle of the ocean. 

In the end, I created a map that illustrates what might be possible with more time and resources--a map that shows where National Register listings are located along Route 66, which is useful in recognizing where sites group together, just how much (or little) of the famous highway is located within each state, and which types of sites are most or least common. A visitor to this map can zoom in or out and can click on each site (marked with icons that indicate which type of site it is) to trigger a pop-up window with its name. The inset map gives a broader context of the area within the bounds of focus.

Potential Future Uses:

One might expand this map to include photos, text, and links in the pop-up window for each site. There could be additional information, like the current status of the site (whether it's restored and functional, abandoned, or demolished) or a brief history. The geographic nature of Route 66's history might be especially applicable to a layered digital resource with multiple maps including ones that detailed the development of the highway, its uses over time, and the chronology of its decline and eventual decommissioning.