Part of Our Route 66 Everytown Collection – Caffeyville Edition
Reminisce on the quiet stories of Route 66’s past with this ultra-soft unisex jersey tee, crafted from 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton. Featuring the poignant slogan, “RIP: 1870–1957,” it pays tribute to Caffeyville, Missouri - a small community that thrived briefly before fading into obscurity.
Ideal for history enthusiasts, travelers on the road, and collectors of our exclusive Route 66 Everytown Collection. Comfort and nostalgia are intertwined for this t-shirt that salutes a town that used to line the Mother Road, but now lives on only as a fading memory.
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About Caffeyville, Missouri: A Hamlet Lost to Time
Nestled in the rolling Ozark hills of Laclede County, Caffeyville clung to a 51-year stretch of Route 66 from 1926 to 1977, near what is now Interstate 44. Founded around 1870 and named for settler-entrepreneur John Floyd Caffey, this farming hamlet carved out a quiet existence in the Missouri wilderness.
Six years after its founding, the community gained its crucial connection to the outside world when a post office opened in 1876, serving as the settlers' vital link to distant family and the broader nation.
The Mother Road's arrival brought modest prosperity, such as a general store and filling station to serve weary travelers motoring across America. Yet Caffeyville never transformed into a bustling roadside attraction like its larger neighbors.
When the post office shuttered its doors in 1957, the town's fate was sealed. One by one, its landmarks vanished into the Ozark landscape, reclaimed by time and vegetation until almost nothing remained to prove a community had ever thrived here.
Though Caffeyville has faded into memory, its story lives on as a thread in Laclede County's Route 66 heritage. The nearby town of Lebanon preserves these vanished waypoints through its annual Route 66 Festival and museum, ensuring that even forgotten settlements like Caffeyville remain part of the tapestry of America's most legendary highway. And of course, its legacy lives on at Heart of the Mother Road and with this tee. Wear it proudly.
Product Features:
- 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton for premium softness
- Side seams for added structure and durability
- Tear-away label for comfort
- Classic crew neckline with a flattering unisex fit - true-to-size for all day comfort (see size chart for details)
- Fulfilled in the USA
Care Instructions:
- Machine wash: cold (max 90°F / 30°C)
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Non-chlorine bleach as needed
- Iron or steam: medium heat
- Do not dry clean
