Electrified interurban railways became popular in the early 1900s before Route 66 because they provided clean and efficient service compared with locomotives and horses. The Illinois Traction System linked residents in towns such as Staunton to attractions, shopping, and events in St. Louis, Springfield, and Bloomington. By 1925, interurban rail lines were being overtaken by Henry Ford's Model T and hard roads such as Illinois Route 4, later part of Route 66, and rail passenger service in Staunton ended in 1956. In October 1910, interurban trains carrying passengers to the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and the Veiled Prophet Pageant in St. Louis collided head-on four miles north of Staunton, killing 37 and injuring 26.