Dead Man's Curve was part of the original Route 66 constructed around Towanda in 1927, and it became the site of many disastrous accidents from the late 1920s through the 1950s. About 1/4 mile to the east, the original Route 66 pavement of Portland cement can still be seen. The 2-way road was only 16 feet wide, and the sharp curve made driving very treacherous. District 6 Illinois State Highway Police, jokingly called the Full Grown Bears, became a familiar sight patrolling the area. Many accidents were caused by travelers from Chicago who were unfamiliar with the road and accustomed to faster speeds. A house just beyond the apex of the curve was eventually removed after a semi-trailer truck ran off the road and knocked it off its foundation, following numerous earlier porch replacements caused by cars and trucks crashing into it. Travel on the original Route 66 and Dead Man's Curve dropped dramatically after the 1954 alignment was built about 1/4 mile down the road and Interstate 55 was built through the area in 1977.