This mural was commissioned by the JACC Cultural Affairs Committee. Anthony Benton Gude is the grandson of Thomas Hart Benton, creator of another mural located inside Joplin’s City Hall (Joplin at the Turn of the Century, 1896–1906). Gude was commissioned to capture Joplin during the mid-20th century. Through this mural, viewers see that at time history, Joplin had a strong cultural tie to Route 66 and Main Street.