I gave an interview to Arizona PBS for an article in their subscriber magazine. The article focused on the history of tourism in Arizona. The article delved into the development and marketing of the “Arizona allure,” and how reality on the ground in Arizona often differed widely from how the state was marketed to tourists. I spoke to how the development of the Santa Fe railroad and Route 66 influenced the development and marketing of tourism in Arizona. I also spoke to the impact of tourism on indigenous people – particularly on their interactions with tourists from outside Arizona.
New Article in California History journal
The journal California History published an article of mine about the impact of transportation infrastructure disinvestment on Seligman, Arizona. The California connection derives from the state, and particularly Barstow, California, being the primary beneficiary of investments in interstate highways and the modernization of the Santa Fe railroad that led to the bypassing of Seligman, Arizona — a community on Route 66 and a former major hub of maintenance and switching operations for the Santa Fe railroad.
You can access the article here.
1926-Era Route 66
The photograph below is of a portion of the 1926 alignment of U.S. Route 66 just east of Ash Fork, Arizona. This alignment of the road is several miles north of the post-war alignment that was replaced by I-40.
The road is much narrower than later versions. It has two traffic lanes but the paved portion of the road would have just been wide enough for passenger cars of the era to pass each other. Encountering a truck would have required a drive to pull over to the side of the road to allow it to pass. Pavement is the typical reddish colored macadam of the era. There are no paved shoulders or curbs throughout this section.
Could new legislation lead to a Route 66 economic revival?
I wrote an article for The Conversation about Route 66 and the amendment of the National Trails System Act to add Route 66 as a federally recognized historic trail. Federal recognition brings historic preservation and economic development benefits to communities along the route.
Federal recognition will go a long way to allow places like Peach Springs, Arizona to capitalize on their history to rebuild their economies after the interstate bypass decimated them.
This old gas station, for example, qualifies for the National Register of Historic Places. This amendment could help deliver resources to get it listed and preserved.
Read the article here: http://theconversation.com/could-new-legislation-lead-to-a-route-66-economic-revival-98601
Route 66 Decertified June 26, 1985 – Significant Consequences for Route 66 Communities
On June 26, 1985, highway officials decertified Route 66. The decertification vote ended Route 66 as a federal highway diverting traffic away from remaining segments. This action had significant impacts for communities along the route with many suffering steep economic decline or becoming ghost towns.
This abandoned gas station is in Peach Springs, AZ. Cars would have been lined up three deep at these pumps before the bypass.
The community of Two Guns, Arizona, despite getting an exit off of I-40, became a ghost town after Route 66 was decertified. Abandoned building like this former auto-camp are all that is left.
The interstate highway project was viewed by many as a shining example of progress. For many communities in America, however, it ushered in an era of steep decline and even oblivion.
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