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Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records (PARTIALLY PROCESSED) 1975-2020

NAU.MS.66
NAU.PH.2017.51
Accession 2017.51 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2020.41 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2020.49 (UNPROCESSED)

Historical Note

In the 1980s, Angel Delgadillo, barber and proprietor of the Delgadillo Barber Shop and Pool Hall, began looking for ways to help revive Seligman, Arizona, after observing the economic damage done to the town caused by the recent I-40 bypass. On February 18, 1987, he arranged a meeting of representatives from Route 66 towns across Arizona to organize a group to make old Route 66 a "historic" highway with hopes of reviving tourism and increasing traffic. At this meeting the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona was proposed.

The Association formally came into being in November 1987. Soon after, the state of Arizona christened the former Route 66 alignment between Seligman to Kingman as "Historic Route 66". Then, sections of Route 66 east of Seligman, and from Kingman to Topock at the California border was also named part of Historic Route 66, preserving the longest remaining stretch of uninterrupted Route 66 in the country.

In 1988, the Association began putting on an annual "Fun Run", a two-day event running from Seligman to Golden Shores, Arizona. The Fun Run draws hundreds of participants to drive Route 66, attracting drivers and automobiles of all types, with celebrations happening in towns along the Route. Everyone overnights in Kingman on the first day. The event ends with an awards event in Golden Shores. The event covers nearly all of the longest contiguous alignment of Route 66 left in the eight states Route 66 passed through. Starting with just a couple of dozen cars and participants that first year, the Fun Run is one of the larger annual events held on Route 66 as of 2020.

Through the efforts of the Association, Route 66 has been designated as a Historic Road by the Arizona State Transportation Board (1987), an All-American Road (2009), and a National Scenic Byway. The Association is among the oldest in the contiguous Route 66 states promoting tourism and preservation of the old highway. In addition, many Route 66 associations in other states and in other countries can draw a direct lineage back to the Historic Route 66 Association in Arizona through either direct support and encouragement, or through inspiration. Visitors from all across the United States and around the world seek out pieces of Arizona's Route 66 as part of a "pilgrimage" of traveling some or all of the old highway.

Information in this historical notes is derived from collections materials as well as information provided by archivist and Route 66 scholar R. Sean Evans.

Scope and Content

The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records reflect the organization's efforts between 1987 and 2020. These materials include meeting minutes, correspondence, newsletters, pamphlets, posters, and ephemera from the annual Fun Run and other events put on by the Association, as well as the research files of one of the Association's founders, Dr. Vince Salmon. The records also contain materials relating to other Route 66-related organizations, as well as scrapbooks, photo albums and VHS tapes.

Processed manuscript materials include copies of the Association's newsletter (variously titled Historical Route 66 Association of Arizona, Route 66 News, and Route 66 East to West) as well as newspaper supplements and programs for the annual Fun Run.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access for processed materials.

This collection is only partially processed. Unprocessed portions may contain sensitive or fragile materials which require advance review by Special Collections and Archives staff. Please contact Special Collections and Archives at least three weeks in advance to request access to unprocessed materials.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Digital Material Available

SCA staff, notably Mowana Lomaomvaya, digitized selected textual materials from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in fall 2019 and spring 2020. Digitized materials are available via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Search for "Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records" in the "Collection name" field or "NAU.MS.66" in the "Call number" field.

Click here to view all digitized materials from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records.

Item-level links to digitized materials are provided below.

Preferred Citation

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona (PARTIALLY PROCESSED). NAU.MS.66, Series [ ], Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

This material was donated by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in October 2017. Additional materials were donated in September 2020.

Processing Information

Mowana Lomaomvaya inventoried the first donation of Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records (Accession 2017.51) at the box level in January 2018.

Mowana Lomaomvaya processed the newsletters now found in Series 1 (NAU.MS.66.1) and partially processed Fun Run publications now found in Series 2 (NAU.MS.66.2) in the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020. Samantha Meier finished processing Fun Run materials in October 2020.

In October 2020, Samantha Meier inventoried Accession 2020.41 and added information about that accrual to the finding aid. Sean Evans inventoried Accession 2020.49 in December 2020.

Samantha Meier roughly sorted Accession 2017.15 by format (manuscripts, photographs, audiovisual material) and updated the box-file inventory information in fall 2021.

The bulk of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records (Accessions 2017.51, 2020.41, 2020.49) remain fully unprocessed.

Accruals

Future accruals are anticipated.

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