Highway 99 - (California's Historic Highways) by Stephen H Provost (Paperback)

About the Book

A nostalgic ride up California's greatest highway, with secret history, lost landmarks, forgotten attractions, and the birth of American roadside culture.

Book Synopsis

Before it was a modern freeway, California's State Highway 99 was "the main street of California," a simple two-lane road that passed through the downtowns of every city between the Mexican border and the Oregon state line. Highway 99: The History of California's Main Street turns back the clock to those days when a narrow ribbon of asphalt tied the state's communities together, with classic roadside attractions and plenty of fun along the way.

Highway 99 documents the birth, growth, and transformation of the highway; the gas stations, motels, restaurants, and attractions that flourished and declined by the roadside; and the communities, personalities, and historical events that made their mark on the highway. From the migrations of the Dust Bowl to the birth of the Bakersfield Sound to the foundation of America's fast-food culture, the history of California has happened around Highway 99, and Highway 99: The History of California's Main Street brilliantly depicts that history.

Review Quotes

"An engaging narrative that pulls the reader into the story and onto the road. Just like Highway 99, you want to keep going, seeing what will come next, confident that there will be a place to rest up to continue the adventure. I highly recommend Highway 99: The History of California's Main Street, whether you're a roadside archaeology nut or just someone who enjoys a ripping story peppered with vintage photographs." --Barbara Gossett, Society for Commercial Archaeology Journal

"Any with an interest in California's history and culture will find Highway 99 a fine collection that offers many images and ideas not to be found in more general California history titles." --Midwest Book Review

"From the Dust Bowl migrations of the 1930s to the rise and fall of gas stations, motels, attractions, and roadside diners, it's all here in Highway 99. I highly recommend it." --Diana Bulls, Kings River Life

"Profusely illustrated throughout, Highway 99 is unreservedly recommended as an essential and core addition to every community and academic library's California History collections and would serve as an excellent template for similar histories of other iconic American roads." --California Bookwatch

"Provost's grasp of local color comes through in his choice of anecdotes; he picks out vivid and intriguing events to discuss the societal changes that the highway brought ... Readers nostalgic for California's yesteryear or who wonder about the history behind their road maps should find plenty to love in this work." --Kirkus Reviews

For the first time, we have a full portrait of Highway 99. Provost has crafted a lucid account, lively on every page. --William B. Secrest, Jr., editor of Garden of the Sun