Sunday in Seligman

For the past few days, I’ve been out in Arizona visiting a few Route 66 communities to help spread the word about the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Route 66 Legacy Business Grant program. I’ve seen old friends, met with small business owners, and tried to make the most of my time out here. On Sunday, I spent the day in the town of Seligman.

Seligman is known as the “Birthplace of Historic Route 66”. Now, that’s not to be confused with Springfield, Missouri…the “Birthplace of Route 66”. The key word is historic. Angel Delgadillo, a barber by trade, was instrumental in getting the first segment of Route 66 designated as a historic road. He also was a founding force in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the first such organization among the eight states the road winds through. Angel’s work paved the way (so to speak) for the preservation efforts that exist today. He says it much better than I can.

Angel’s work is what put Seligman back on the map, but it’s the combined work of many others that have turned it into one of the most anticipated experiences for Route 66 travelers today. Vintage motels, antique stores, gift shops, and local restaurants entice travelers to immerse themselves in Mother Road culture. The Snow Cap Drive-In, founded by Angel’s brother Juan and his wife Mary, is a quirky walk-up diner known for its zany humor. Today it’s run by Juan’s daughter Cecilia and her husband John. I met up with John and he showed me several projects completed thanks to grants from the National Trust: restored awnings, a repaired sidewalk, a mural of the late founders, and a neon sign spinning again. It’s great to see Juan’s legacy glowing brightly for the next generation.

Thanks to a tip from Nikki Terlesky, the head of the Arizona Association, I walked across the street to the Aztec Motel & Creative Space to check it out. The Aztec dates back to 1915 but most of the existing motel is from a 1950s-era expansion. A few years ago, Sebastiaan de Boorder fell in love with the place and bought it with his wife Anna Marie Gonzalez. They’ve renovated the motel and turned the original adobe structure in the back into a creative community space. Locals use it for gatherings and travelers use it to take their time and relax a bit in a comfortable setting. It’s a wonderful reimagining of what a vintage motel can be; I really enjoyed meeting Sebastiaan and learning more about their vision.

For lunch, I drove all the way to the other side of town (a whopping 0.6 miles) to Westside Lilo’s Cafe. I had somehow missed out on this place until this trip and boy was it good! I was going to branch out a little with my cuisine but when I saw their burger was served on a pretzel bun, I had to get it. First time I had that combo was when Samantha made it at home and it always reminds me of her. Once I was finished with my (delicious) meal, I talked to the owners for a few minutes and learned they were restoring the old Seligman Sundries building down the street. Aside from a few complications from the county, things are going well. Maybe the NTHP can help them, too!

After a little more wandering, I headed down at the Delgadillo Gift Shop. Angel formally retired in 2022 (he still pops down to the shop on occasion) and his grown children handle the shop, along with the busloads of tourists that pour in regularly. I had called ahead and set a time to meet with Clarissa, one of his daughters, to check in on how things were going and if there was anything the National Trust could help with. I was pleasantly surprised when one of Angel’s sons, Mauricio, was also in the shop. He even recognized me from the last time I visited, which was over two years ago! Clarissa told me we were going to walk over to the original alignment of Route 66 in Seligman and look at the original barber shop, the one that Angel’s father built…and Angel was waiting!

What a delight! I’d met Angel once before, back in 2016 when I was just getting into Route 66 advocacy. I didn’t ask to see him on my visit because, c’mon, the guy has earned his retirement. But I’d be lying if I wasn’t giddy at the opportunity to have a substantive visit with the man, especially with much of his family present. The two-block walk didn’t take long, though it felt longer, and then we were standing in front of an unassuming stucco structure next to the train tracks. Not only was Angel there, but so was another one of his sons, Angel Jr., who had just flown in for the holiday.

And that’s how I ended up hanging with the Delgadillos on a Sunday afternoon. Angel told me all about how his father built the original shop out of adobe bricks and served the Santa Fe railroad workers. Many of the non-white residents weren’t welcome in the town’s other barber chairs but they were always welcome at the Delgadillo shop. In the back was a pool hall where the same folks could play until late into the night; snooker games were a penny per minute per player. There was even a little poker room in the wayback with its own escape door should someone come knocking.

Angel is full of stories, but as I said earlier…the man has earned his retirement. He bid us farewell and our remaining conversation turned to the physical structure. Mauricio pointed out some of the subtle-but-beautiful architectural flourishes from his grandfather and Angel Jr. showed me areas where the stucco was gone, exposing the bare brick. I took notes on all of it and told them I’d keep my ear to the ground for opportunities to help them keep this landmark in good order.

We parted ways as the sun began to set and my stomach began to grumble. I joined my friends Debbie & Bruce Mejia down at the Roadkill Cafe (which they own) along with surprise roadie guests Melissa & Ray Shereda from Springfield, IL. I had not seen them since the Hi-Way Cafe neon relighting in March of 2023! We were having a good time catching up – when another pair of familiar faces walked through the door. The President of Green Country Classic Mustangs (the car club I belong to back home) Nick Pollard and his wife Cassie were heading back to Tulsa from California and just so happened to be staying in Seligman the same night.

What an amazing day! Route 66 is a big family, it truly is. When we all work together, the sky is the limit.