Editing Pacific, Missouri (section)

=== The Route 66 era (1925–1977) ===
[[U.S. Route 66]] was commissioned by the federal government in 1926, but it originally did not go through Pacific; it was routed along what is now [[Missouri Route 100]] east of Gray Summit going into Saint Louis until 1933. That year, [[U.S. Route 50]] took over the 1926 alignment, and Route 66 was routed down what is now Osage Street through downtown Pacific. As Route 66 exploded in popularity through the 20th century, new attention was brought to Pacific, as cross-country motorists would stop in the city to eat and stay the night. The [[Red Cedar Inn]], The Al-Pac Motel and Beacon Court, constructed in 1933, 1942 and 1946, respectively, are examples of [[bed and breakfast]]s that opened in Pacific along Route 66.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Whittall|first=Austin|title=Pacific, Missouri. Route 66: Attractions and Landmarks|url=https://www.theroute-66.com/pacific.html|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.theroute-66.com|language=en}}</ref>

The Jensen's Point overlook, named for Lars P. Jensen, the first president of the Henry Shaw Gardenway Association, was constructed in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps atop the sandstone bluffs towering above the Meramec River on the east side of town. It was restored by the city of Pacific in the late 2010s, and is open to the public, offering panoramic views of downtown Pacific and the Meramec River.<ref name=":1" />

In 1959, as part of [[Project Nike]], the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] purchased some land approximately 5 miles (8&nbsp;km) south of Pacific and constructed a [[Nike Hercules]] missile site on the land. Nike Base SL-60, as it was called, was one of four surface-to-air missile sites surrounding the Saint Louis metropolitan area in case of an imminent attack from the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Cold War]]. It operated from 1960 until 1968.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nike Missle <nowiki>[sic]</nowiki> Base Reunion May 30n Operated 1958 to 1968|url=https://www.emissourian.com/nike-missle-base-reunion-may-30n-operated-1958-to-1968/article_a9b22736-3131-511c-93d7-8c02970bff86.html|access-date=2020-06-04|website=The Missourian|language=en}}</ref> The city of Pacific took control of the land in 1969 and the Meramec Valley R-III school district utilized the barracks to build an elementary school. The parcel is now mostly privately owned, with the airstrip becoming part of a residential subdivision later.

[[Interstate 44]] was constructed throughout Missouri during the early 1960s, and when it opened in 1965, Pacific and Route 66 were bypassed immediately to the north by the highway. By 1972, the [[Interstate Highway System]] had completely bypassed Route 66, and in 1974, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials|AASHTO]] decided that Route 66 from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois should be decommissioned. Former Route 66 was commissioned as Business Loop 44 through Pacific, and signs and shields referencing Route 66 in Pacific were removed in 1977.<ref name=":1" />