The Red Cedar Inn is the main 66 attraction in Pacific, Missouri. It opened in 1934, with the original owners having the good sense to wait for the arrival of Route 66 in 1932, and, more importantly, the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. I'm sure good times were had by all in those early years, whether townsfolk or 66 traveler. The Inn stayed in operation as a restaurant until 1972, when the son of one of the original owners retired. It was reopened in 1987 by a grandson, but closed for good in 2005. It is now some kind of business center, but its listing in the National Register of Historic Places will keep the building available for future 66'ers. Also of interest is downtown Pacific, where many of its 19th century buildings have been restored.
Roadside businesses sprang up in Pacific with the new highway in the 1930's, and contributed to the local economy until the interstate arrived. The recent Route 66 revival has brought some of that traffic back. Silica, used in making glassware and for other industrial proposes, has been mined in Pacific since the early 20th century. Route 66 runs right by the U.S. Silica plant, and the mining caves from the old days can be seen from the old road. The town has probably always had its share of St. Louis commuters, who commute today, no doubt, on the modern interstate. Log Book: 320 miles motored on old 66.
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