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Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records (PARTIALLY PROCESSED), 1961, 1987-2020

NAU.MS.66
NAU.MI.2017.51
NAU.PH.2017.51
NAU.3D.2017.51

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 an 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 1987-2020. 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.

Manuscript materials in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records (NAU.MS.66) include copies of the Association's newsletter (variously titled Historical Route 66 Association of Arizona Route 66 News and Route 66 East to West); programs, posters, maps, newspaper inserts, schedules, flyers, agendas and other materials related to the annual Historic Route 66 Fun Run; scrapbooks documenting the history of Route 66 and of the Association; research files, many compiled by Vince Salmon, related to the history of Route 66 and of various locations along Route 66 (including information about states which contain segments of the highway), as well as the history of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona itself; materials documenting activities of the Association, including meeting minutes, specific projects such as the creation of brochures and the Route 66 Passport, branding and marketing activities, and efforts to promote tourism; materials documenting grant-funded projects and other historic preservation activities, often in collaboration with other agencies such as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the U.S. Department of Transportation , such as the Historic Route 66 Corridor Management Plan and All-American Road or National Scenic Byways nomination and designation, as well as welcome centers, the Powerhouse Museum in Kingman, Arizona, and other grant projects; correspondence to or between board members, particularly Vince Salmon, Sharlene Fouser, Debra Brisk, and Jerry Richard; posters, artwork, flyers, menus, and maps, including material created by Robert "Bob" Waldmire; and published materials about Route 66 or the Association gathered by board members.

Moving images in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Records (NAU.MI.2017.51) include broadcast television news footage related to the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, as well as amateur footage of the Fun Run and other Association activities. between 1987-2020. 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.

Photographs in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records (NAU.PH.2017.51) consist largely of color photographic prints created by Association members documenting the Association and its members, Route 66, locations and cities along Route 66, specific events such as the annual Fun Run, and classic cars. Some photographs are black-and-white copies of historic photographs held by other institutions, such as the Mohave Museum of History and Arts. Other images are attributed to Jerry Richard, Charlie Ryan, and Jackie Rowland. The bulk of the prints were previously stored in binders compiled by Vince Salmon and Linda Hawn. Some files also include other materials, such as postcards, newspaper clippings, memorial brochure, a previously framed copy of the Association's newsletter, a eulogy written by Vince Salmon, a signed art print by Robert Sturman, and a phonographic record.

Ephemera in the collection includes magnets, most commemorating the annual Fun Run, Arizona license plates, stickers, buttons, and other 3-D objects.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access to or use of processed manuscript materials (NAU.MS.66), photographic materials (NAU.PH.2017.51), or artifacts and ephemera (NAU.3D.2017.51) in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room. Please see the Physical Access Restrictions note for more details.

Conditions Governing Use

The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records includes copyrighted material, such as moving images containing broadcast television news footage. Researchers are advised to contact the appropriate TV news station or company to obtain permission to use these materials.

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.

Physical Access Restrictions

Due to the possibility of corruption, data loss, or other damage, born digital materials in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records which are stored on floppy disks and optical media discs (CDs and DVDs) are not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room. Please contact Special Collections and Archives to learn more.

Due to a lack of required playback equipment and the fragility of the materials in question, 8mm films and VHS videotapes in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records (NAU.MI.2017.51) are unavailable for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room. Researchers are advised to utilize digitized versions of the original films available online via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Please see the Digital Material Available note to learn more.

Certain moving image materials could not be digitized and made available online by SCA staff due to copyright concerns. Researchers interested in any moving images which have yet to be digitized by SCA should contact the department to learn more.

Administrative Information

Digital Material Available

Mowana Lomaomvaya digitized selected textual materials from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in fall 2019 and spring 2020. In fall 2022 and spring 2023, Jess Vogelsang and Olivia "Liv" Hall digitized moving images from this collection as part of SCA's NEH grant to address at-risk moving images. Adya Alcalde digitized photographs and additional textual materials in spring 2024.

Digitized materials from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records are available via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Select "Colorado Plateau Digital Collections". Use the advanced search menu to search for "Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records" in the "Collection name" field or search for "NAU.MS.66," "NAU.PH.2017.51" or "NAU.MI.2017.51" in the "Call number" field.

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

The digitization of and public online access to moving image materials from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records was made possible through generous funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources: Implementation grant (PW-277441-21), 2021-2024.

Preferred Citation

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

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records [moving images], NAU.MI.2017.51.[ ], Box [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records [photographs], NAU.PH.2017.51.[ ], Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. 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 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 spring of 2020. Sam(antha) Meier finished processing Fun Run materials in October 2020.

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

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

In January 2023, Meier processed moving image materials in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records. She also selected all moving images for inclusion in SCA's 2021-2024 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to address at-risk moving images. In spring 2023, SCA staff, notably Jess Vogelsang and Olivia "Liv" Hall, digitized, edited, and uploaded copies of all the moving images from this collection to the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Nix Mendy added item-level links to the digitized moving images across the finding aid.

In 2023, Zaidi Babcock physically rehoused materials formerly stored in three-ring binders.

Adya Austin physically processed scrapbooks in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in October 2023. Austin processed additional manuscript materials, ephemera, and artifacts in Accessions 2017.15, 2020.41, and 2020.49 of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in fall 2023, under the supervision of Sam Meier and Sean Evans.

Adya Austin numbered, organized, and filed photographs in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona records in winter 2023, under the supervision of Sam Meier and Sean Evans.

Accruals

Future accruals are anticipated.

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