Seligman, Arizona
Seligman, Arizona is the Birthplace of HISTORIC Route 66 due to the fact that the rebirth of Route 66, with its historic designation, was spearheaded in Seligman, Arizona by Angel Delgadillo when he founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987.
BIRTHPLACE OF "HISTORIC"
In 1972, Angel Delgadillo moved his barber shop location so that he could take advantage of the traffic on the new alignment of Route 66 through Seligman. For the next six years, he and the many other Seligman businesses enjoyed the commerce from the 9,000 cars Route 66 brought through town each day. But on September 22, 1978, the stream of cars completely stopped when the newly constructed Interstate 40 opened two miles south of town. Seligman’s livelihood disappeared in one day.
Year after year the economy worsened. Over these long and lean years Angel realized people had nostalgia for the decommissioned road known as Route 66 and wondered if its revival might be the answer to Seligman’s problems. Angel called a meeting at the Copper Cart restaurant in Seligman on February 18, 1987, to organize a group to promote a “Historic” Route 66. The 16-person meeting resulted in the founding of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the first group of its kind.
After doggedly lobbying the Arizona legislature and the local county boards, the Association reached success. In November of 1987, the State of Arizona christened the old section of U.S. 66 from Seligman to Kingman as HISTORIC Route 66. Slowly but surely, the “Historic” Route 66 revival continued to spread throughout the country.
Angel has been nicknamed “The Mayor of the Mother Road” and “The Guardian Angel of Route 66.” He has spent decades being interviewed by the media to help bring tourism to Seligman. One of the most notable interviews was with John Lasseter from Pixar that helped imagine the story-line of the town Radiator Springs in the movie “Cars.”
For those who know the story of Historic Route 66, Seligman is not just a stop on their way to somewhere else, it is a Route 66 destination. Seligman, Arizona brought Route 66 back from the dead and is “The Birthplace of HISTORIC Route 66.”
THE OTHER BIRTHPLACES OF ROUTE 66
To pay proper homage to Seligman's Route 66 brethren and in an attempt to clear up years of confusion...
While Seligman, Arizona is the Birthplace of HISTORIC Route 66...
Tulsa, Oklahoma is the Birthplace of Route 66
and...
Springfield, Missouri is the Birthplace of Route 66
WHY TULSA, OKLAHOMA IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF U.S. HIGHWAY ROUTE 66 (ROUTE 66)
Cyrus Avery, a businessman from Tulsa and Oklahoma's first highway commissioner, spearheaded the national committee that created the 1926 U.S. Highway System. Avery proposed an unconventional route from Chicago-to-Los Angeles that dropped south through Oklahoma (conveniently running right past his own gas station and restaurant) then turned west through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and ending at the Pacific Ocean in California. U.S. Highway 66 (aka Route 66) was truly born in Tulsa with Cyrus Avery’s vision and materialized due to his dedication.
WHY SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROUTE "66"
On April 30, 1926, a telegram was sent from Cyrus Avery and B. H. Piepmeier in Springfield, Missouri to Washington DC, stating that they preferred the number “66” rather than “62” for the highway that would be going through both of their states, Oklahoma and Missouri. They had originally wanted “60” but lost that battle to a different highway. April 30, 1926, is now known as “the red-letter day” — the day the impasse over Route 60 began to be resolved, and Route “66” was born and Springfield is known as the birthplace of that "66" designation.
SELIGMAN'S ROUTE 66 TIMELINE
1926 Official Birth of U.S. Highway 66 as it connects local roads throughout the country, including what is now Railroad Ave in Seligman
1933 On the eastern part of town, the alignment of Route 66 is moved away from the railroad tracks to one block north
1947 LIFE Magazine photographer, Andreas Feininger, immortalizes Seligman as a Route 66 town in his famous photograph "Route 66, Arizona"
1966 Throughout the town of Seligman Route 66 is widened to 4 lanes resulting in changes to some buildings and the demolition of others.
1978 Seligman is by-passed by the new Interstate 40 and takes the town's tourist economy away in one day.
1985 Route 66 is officially, nationally decommissioned
1986 Seligman's economy worsens as the railroad changes the division point which takes away the hundreds of railway workers that were keeping the town financially afloat
1987 Angel Delgadillo calls a meeting in February and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona is formed at the Copper Cart restaurant in Seligman. For months, the association doggedly works on trying to get the State of Arizona to bring Route 66 back as a "historic" highway. By November, they officially succeed.
1988 The first Fun Run: the Dedication of “Historic” Route 66 and their drive of success starting in Seligman and going to the California border. Governor Rose Mofford cuts the ceremonial ribbon. Will Rogers Jr. is the Grand Marshal.
1989 The second annual Historic Route 66 Fun Run has Bobby Troup, songwriter of "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" as the Grand Marshal.
1997 Seligman hosts Martin Milner from the TV show Route 66.
2001 John Lasseter and the Pixar crew come to Seligman to interview Angel Delgadillo for their upcoming animated film "Cars."
2022 The Snow Cap gets Seligman into the Guinness Book of World Records!
2026 Route 66 turns 100 because Seligman brought it back from the dead.
Seligman, Arizona Historic Route 66 Tour
Parenthetical numbers refer to pages and chapters in my book Seligman, Arizona: Birthplace of HISTORIC Route 66
1. HISTORIC ROUTE 66 GENERAL STORE, previously Northern Arizona Campground (208-209)
2. HISTORIC ROUTE 66 AUTOMOTIVE, previously Texaco gas station (210-211)
3. OLD WEST TOWN (206-207)
4. ROADKILL CAFE & OK Saloon, previously Texaco and then Mobil gas stations (212-215)
5.HISTORIC ROUTE 66 MOTEL, built in 1949 as the Navajo Motel, the modern replacement to 1920s two-story wooden building that housed the Navajo Hotel, first built as "Hotel Johnston" (200-205)
6. REPUBLIC PROPERTIES, previously Dairy Kreme, a small drive-in style restaurant (176)
7. JOHNSON'S ROUTE 66 CHEVRON, former location of Kerby's Auto Camp (180-185)
8. Old Johnson Mobil/Conoco (184)
9. Old Johnson Chevron/Exxon (180-184)
10. WESTSIDE LILO'S, formerly Johnson's Coffee Shop, The Four C's, Mr. J's (Chapter 14)
11.Old Johnson Lumber (188)
12.POST OFFICE, formerly Motel Unique (186-187)
13. Old Royal Service Station (175, 177-178)
14. Old Court Royal Cabins (177-179)
15. SUPAI MOTEL, built in the mid-1950s (124-127)
16. POSTCARD MOTEL, previously Romney Motel, Nomad Motel, and El Rancho Seligman Motel (128-129)
17. BLACK CAT BAR, a Seligman institution since 1935 (Chapter 9)
18. Sheriff Owens's House, home of former Sheriff of Apache County, Commodore Perry Owens, famously known as the One Man Army Sheriff of the Old West (18)
19. SELIGMAN GROCERY, built in 1939 by E.F. Schoeny (42-43)
20. Seligman's first Post Office building, built in 1914 (46-47)
21. Old Central Commercial, previously J.A. Pitts General Merchandise, built in 1914 (44-45)
22. CANYON LODGE, previously the Canyon Shadows and the property formerly home to the Arizona Hotel and Cafe (57-60, 122-123)
23. ROADRUNNER, previously Connor Chevrolet, Olson Chevrolet, Talaro Inn (84-87)
24. Old Donovan's One Stop Shop, Wilkinson Motors, B&R Car Care, Goldsmith Motors (90-91)
24.5: Former location of White Horse Cafe (62-63)
25. THE AZTEC MOTEL, built c.1960, formerly home to R&A Martinez Chevron Service, and before that the location of Juan Delagdillo's (uncle to the Snow Cap Juan Delgadillo) restaurant in the 1920s and 30s (132-136, 95)
26. ACME MOBILE STORAGE, previously Ray Newton's Chevron Standard Station (96)
27. OCTANE ART, previously the Seligman Garage from c.1930-1995, towing, gas, and Studebaker sales (92-94)
28. HIGHWAY HOT DOG, previously the Seligman Sundries, Ted's Famous Malts, Pioneer Theatre and Dance Hall (48-51)
29. MOTOPORIUM gift shop, previously Copper Cart restaurant (Chapter 6)
30. SELIGMAN CENTENNIAL PARK, former location of the Corner Bar, Old Corral & Morris Cafe (65-69)
31. RUSTY BOLT, previously Seligman Supply and Thunderbird Indian Store (52-53)
32. RETURN TO THE 50s, previously Shell Gas Station, and former location of The Rustic Curio Shop (88-89)
33. DELUXE MOTEL, previously called Court DeLuxe, it is Seligman's oldest motel, built in 1932 (130-131)
34. ANGEL'S BARBER SHOP MUSEUM & ORIGINAL ROUTE 66 GIFT SHOP, built in 1914 as a duplex home, converted to pool hall and barber shop in 1972. Original headquarters to the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987. (Chapter 17)
35. ROUTE 66 ROAD RELICS, previously A&P Restaurant and Mini Mart, Delgadillo Grocery and Exxon Station, Richfield Garage and Vista Motel (80-83)
36. DELGADILLO'S SNOW CAP DRIVE IN RESTAURANT, built in 1953 by Juan Delgadillo. Celebrating 73 years of feeding (and entertaining) Route 66 travelers! (Chapter 11)
37. Formerly the location of Seligman's Havasu Harvey House (Chapter 3)
38. SOLBERG AUTOMOTIVE, formerly the location of many Main Street businesses (54, 64)
39. Old Delgadillo's Seligman Pool Hall, built in 1923 & original location of Angel's Barber Shop est. 1950 (Chapter 1)
40. Original Seligman Garage, built in 1905
THAT ROUTE 66 LIFE
In 1947, photographer Andreas Feininger immortalized Seligman as a Route 66 town in his famous LIFE magazine photograph "Route 66, Arizona."
None of the buildings pictured are still standing but to find the approximate vantage point you can stand on the sidewalk between #8 and #9 (on the map above) and face east. The hamburger shack and Texaco are approximately where the Roadkill Cafe lies today. The two-story hotel in the picture was originally the Johnston Hotel and then the Navajo Hotel. It was torn down a few years after this picture was taken to make way for the new one-story Navajo Motel which is now the Historic Route 66 Motel.
This beautiful photo captures rural yesteryear Americana like no other. It has been a staple in poster home-decor for decades. In fact, I found an old picture from my Eugene, Oregon college days proving that a copy of the poster had been in one of my homes long before I had ever heard of Seligman, Arizona. Unbeknownst to college-aged me, I would one day live in that small, rural town in Arizona!
This poster, once again, proudly resides in the middle of my living room wall today.
NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER
The Seligman Commercial Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 2005. The district encompasses both alignments of Route 66 through Seligman from approximately Lamport Street to First Street.
At the time it was listed, the district contained 24 contributing historic buildings. The properties had been carefully cataloged by father and daughter, Angel and Mirna Delgadillo, before being sent off to the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office for an application made to receive national historic status. The process took approximately two years, but in end, the Seligman Commercial Historic District was awarded its title due to Seligman’s unique characteristic of retaining its historic buildings without demolition or excessive remodeling and the connection of these buildings to the history of transportation and commerce in America.
In addition to the contributing buildings, the district also contains a portion of Route 66 itself. According to the official National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Continuation Section 7, Sheet 7):
“The structure contributes to the district by providing a pristine view of what the ‘Mother Road’ looked like during its infancy. Measuring about 50ft wide, the asphalt structure has not been bermed or built up through successive episodes of resurfacing.”
That section of old road is still part of Seligman as part of Railroad Avenue. It is an important part of Seligman's Route 66 that was there 100 years ago when it became part of the national highway.
SELIGMAN and SANDMAT
The town of Sandmat in the Route 66 Ranch Hotel Mystery Series is loosely based on Seligman. The location of the fictional Route 66 Ranch Hotel is inspired by the stretch of Route 66 to the west of Seligman including the stunning backdrops of the Aubrey Cliffs and the Hualapai Plateau even farther west.
Whereas the fictional county in the books, Juniper County, is very different from the county that Seligman lies in, the small, rural, unincorporated town of Sandmat shares many similarities with the real life town of Seligman.