As mass production and Henry Ford's Model-T made it possible for most any American to afford a new or used automobile, the horses and buggies rapidly gave way to motorcars on our roads and highways. By the beginning of World War I, the Federal and state governments were providing funds to build better highways to improve driving conditions from the mud and ruts to hard-surfaced pavement. The Southwestern United States was then sparsely populated and had few good roads running through. Railroads were the main source of cross-country transportation at the time.
In 1926, US Highway 66 (or Route 66) was designated from Chicago, Ill. to Los Angeles, Calif. through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It's route through Arizona for 385 miles along the Santa Fe railroad passed through the cities of Holbrook, Joseph City, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Ash Fork, Seligman and Kingman, as well as small villages such as Lupton, Chambers, Winona, Peach Springs, Hackberry, Goldroad and Oatman. The towns and cities had benefitted greatly from the railroad, now the highway would in time, increase the economic viability of the communities even further.
In its early years, Route 66 through Arizona was largely unpaved, but would soon change. By 1934, most of the highway across the state was hard surfaced, with the exceptions being from Sanders, about 20 miles west of the New Mexico line westward to just past the Petrified Forest National Monument, and then further west, two unpaved sections existed from Venero about seven miles west of Seligman to Cedar Grove, a small stretch near Yampai, and then from the Hulapi Indian Reservation border west of Peach Springs down to Valentine, and Hackberry to just east of Kingman. By the end of 1937, Route 66 was entirely paved across Arizona from border to border, as would be the entire route from Chicago to Los Angeles.
The end of World War II brought a surge in migrating Americans taking to the roads and highways in record numbers. The highways were loaded with more cars than were designed for and were further deteriorated by wartime trucks. But business on Route 66 was "hitting the jackpot" as gas stations, motels, restaurants, etc. were rolling in record profits from an eager traveling public.
In Arizona and other states, military use of Route 66 during the war left it in deplorable condition. Due to the absence of large cities and population, Arizona did not initially receive as much federal highway funding for improving the road as California, Texas, or Illinois, where miles of four-lane superhighways couldn't be built fast enough, but the postwar population boom in Arizona would soon change all that. The existing two-lane route was improved in stages in the early postwar years and included a number of minor realignments such as the stretch east of Flagstaff to Winona. By 1953, a straighter and wider two-lane road was completed between Kingman and Topock at the California border which complete bypassed the winding hairpin curves on the old route through Goldroad and Oatman. In 1955, Arizona Highways noted that about 174.8 out of the total 376 miles of 66 had been widened to a minimum of 40 feet in width compared to the 18 to 22 feet common in the 1930s and 40s. The magazine also noted that in 1954, an average of 2,999 vehicles used Route 66 each day, of which 73 percent were out-of-state vehicles. Increasing numbers of vehicles on the highways led to overcapacity as they were now carrying far more traffic than they were designed for. In 1956, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed the Interstate and Defense Highway Act into law. In Arizona, the federal highway shield of 66 would be replaced by the red-white-and-blue symbol of Interstate. Within 30 years, Route 66 would slowly and gradually become history. The state also got north-south I-17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix and I-19 from Tucson to Nogales on the Mexican border, along with east-west Interstate from Blythe, Calif. to the Arizona/New Mexico east of San Simon and I-8 further south from Yuma to I-10 at Casa Grande.
The move toward Interstate designation on Route 66 in the state began shortly thereafter, though Arizona was slower than most other Route 66 states in completing its interstate mileage. By 1958, a small stretch of 66 was four-laned and designated I-40 in the vicinity of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Monument east of Holbrook.
During the 1960s, I-40 was replacing rural sections of US 66 throughout the state, except for bypasses around cities. By 1965, I-40 was completed from the New Mexico border to just west of Lupton, along with other stretches from east of Sanders on past the Petrified Forest National Monument and west of Flagstaff to Ariz. 64 just east of Williams, along with short stretches to the east and west of Ash Fork. By 1969, most rural sections of Route 66 had given way to I-40 with long continuous stretches from the New Mexico border through Holbrook, Joseph City and Winslow to 10 miles west of Winslow, then Flagstaff to Williams, and from west of Williams through Ash Fork to Seligman and from Kingman most of the way to the California border near Topock, with the the exception of bypasses around most cities. The first I-40 bypass in Arizona was opened at Flagstaff in 1968, but it would be another decade or so before I-40 bypassed other Arizona cities. In 1978, Winslow was bypassed and a long 70-mile stretch of I-40 between Seligman and Kingman was completed that same year, leaving many small villages including Peach Springs, Hackberry, Valentine and others high and dry. Now travelers were avoiding Route 66 through the towns as new restaurants, motels, and service stations were locating (or re-locating) to the Interstate interchanges, while many older establishments on Route 66 suffered from loss of business and closed down. By 1981, bypasses would be completed around Holbrook, Joseph City, Ash Fork and Kingman, leaving Williams as the only city along Route 66 whose main drag still carried cross-country traffic.
Williams was the last city on Route 66 to be bypassed. The ribbon-cutting for the opening of this last stretch of I-40 on Oct. 13, 1984 received a lot of media attention not only because it eliminated the last town unbypassed by I-40, but also marked the final end of Route 66 as a major highway link.
In 1985, US 66 was officially decertified as a highway designation. By this time only 66 signs only existed in four states including Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The 66 signs were removed from the road in all eight states. Route 66 was gone forever in designation, but definitely not in spirit or historical value. In most of the towns, there are still vintage motels glittering in neon, diners that serve real food instead of fast food and service stations that provide "service." Motorists are still drawn into Holbrook to bed down for the night at the Wigwam Motel, to Joseph City to visit the Jackrabbit Trading Post identified by the big yellow sign with black jackrabbit proclaiming “Here It Is!"‚among other attractions. Flagstaff's stretch of Route 66 still has a few vintage motels in good condition with clean rooms at reasonable prices for travelers looking for an alternative to the bland and overpriced chain motel, as well as some older downtown hotels now used as youth hostels. Williams is still the gateway to the Grand Canyon and Rod's Steak House continues serving mouthwatering food. Seligman is home to two Route 66 icons, Angel's Barber Shop, headed by Angel Delgadillo who headed up efforts to retain and promote what little is left of 66 and has many stories to tell of the heyday of the Mother Road in that town. His brother, Juan, can be seen down at the Snow Cap and has plenty of humor and animation along with good food at reasonable prices. Hackberry is home to the Route 66 Information Center, which was established by Bob Waldmire.
Though I-40 has replaced the old highway through most of Arizona, you can still "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" on many remaining sections, though many miles have disappeared under I-40. One of the longest continuous stretches of 66 remains in service and in excellent condition from just west of Ash Fork through Seligman, Peach Springs and Hackberry to Kingman, most of which is designated as Arizona 66. The original winding road from Kingman through Goldroad to Oatman and on to Topock is still intact but is in relatively poor condition and must be driven slowly to be appreciated. If you don't have to adventure or time to scout out the old road, you can simply drive on the Interstate and exit off on the business loops to drive through the cities on Route 66 and rejoin the Interstate at the other end. There is still a lot of history to be found on remaining sections of Route 66 in the Grand Canyon State.
|
|
Painted Desert
|
Petrified Forest
|
|
Exclusive Motel, Holbrook - 1950s
|
1966 aerial view of Flagstaff
 |
|
Pony Soldier Motel, Flagstaff - 1965
.jpg)
|
1950's postcard of Hill Top Motel, Kingman
|
|
Old gas station, Valentine
|
Hackberry General Store
|
|
Vintage Petrified Forest postcard
|
Downtown Flagstaff
|
|
Route 66 through Holbrook
|
Downtown Williams
|
|
1966 aerial view postcard of Flagstaff
|
Union 76 station, Parks
 |
|
Tables and chairs at Snow Cap
|
Joe and Aggies Cafe, Holbrook
|
|
1950s postcard of Two Guns
|
|
|
|
1965 postcard of the Pony Soldier Motel, Flagstaff
|
|
Snow Cap, Seligman
|
Vintage items inside Mobil station, Ash Fork
|
|
Humdinger at pick-up window, Snow Cap
|
Railroad exhibit, Flagstaff
 |
|
Tables and chairs, Snow Cap
|
Vintage Pepsi cooler, Angel's Barber Shop
|
|
1950s postcard of Exclusive Motel, Holbrook
|
|
|
|
Western approach of Flagstaff
 |
|
|
For more Route 66 photos in Arizona, go to the Links page and click the Arizona album
|
|
