Enthusiastic supporters of an effort to promote cultural tourism and other activities along U.S. Highway 36 gathered Monday in Chillicothe to create a united regional marketing effort.

“Highway 36 supporters have been working for 60 years to see the road four-laned from Hannibal to St. Joseph and it will be a reality in July,” said Ed Douglas, a retired banker and longtime highway supporter. “Creating a marketing corridor is a really cool concept when you think about it.”

The St. Joseph’s Convention & Visitor’s Bureau put the meeting together and hoped for about 30 people.

“The turnout was incredible because more than a 100 people, including all the corridor’s regional planning commissions and a lot of county commissioners, mayors and state representatives were there,” said Marci Bennett, the bureau’s director.

The group plans to market the communities, historic sites and other activities that exist all along the corridor, Mrs. Bennett said.

Representatives from the state tourism office and the State Historical Society spoke at the meeting. The state highway includes a diverse group of historical events and potential activities including Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer sites, state parks, the Walt Disney Museum, the J. C. Penny home, the Gen. John J. Pershing home, the Jesse James home, and the home of the Pony Express. State tourism officials said a state magazine promoting tourism will be issued in December featuring Mark Twain and The Pony Express on the cover.

Next year has the potential to be a big tourism year to kick off this effort, Mr. Douglas said.

“You know when you think about it a family could make a weeklong trip across from Hannibal to St. Joseph with different things to do everyday,” said Dan Hausman, a Buchanan County commissioner.

The group is thinking about calling the highway the “Way of American Genius,” Mrs. Bennett said. Officially, the organization will become the Missouri Highway 36 Heritage Alliance, she said.

The group plans future meetings and a structured marketing program but no date was set for its next meeting.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.