It’s 7:00 in the morning and Westside Lilo’s opens for business. The first customer in the door is an old man, and the waitress has a cup of coffee on his table before he sits down. In 20 minutes, the entire dining room is full. There’s electricity in the air.
It’s the day before the 37th annual Fun Run, an event put on by the Arizona’s Route 66 Association to celebrate the first segment of the famous highway that was designated as historic. More than 800 cruisers will descend on the town of Seligman before the end of the day, and just like he has for nearly four decades, the town’s most famous resident will kick off the event on Saturday morning.
Angel Delgadillo is a legend on Route 66. When Interstate 40 opened in 1978, it devastated his town just like it did many others. Angel decided to do something about it…and for a decade, he petitioned the state government to make Route 66 historic between Seligman and Kingman. When that effort was finally successful in 1987, he didn’t call it a day; he began advocating for the next segment, stretching to the California border, to also be recognized. He and fellow advocates also founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the first of its kind. By 1990, all of them had followed suit and created their own preservation and promotion organizations. Michael Wallis’ book Route 66: The Mother Road also came out in 1990 and re-introduced the world to the joy and wonder to be found on the side of the road. It wasn’t a dead highway – and people have been discovering it ever since.
2026 is a pivotal year in Route 66’s history. It’s the Centennial; 100 years since it was formally established. On April 30th, roadies celebrated the first big Centennial milestone: the date that Route 66 received its number. Originally, the highway that connected Chicago to Los Angeles was going to be #60. Even numbered highways in the brand new federal system were to go east to west; odd numbers north to south. But the governor of Kentucky was upset that none of these major new highways were going to go through his state. He lobbied hard to get Highway 60 and it threatened disrupt the entire national effort. A decision needed to be made.
On April 30th, 1926, a telegram was sent from Springfield, Missouri to Washington DC. Cyrus Avery, the father of Route 66 and an influential member of the highway commission, told the powers that be that 66 was an acceptable alternative. That choice had an impact far beyond what anyone there could have imagined, I’m sure. A century later, a huge celebration took place in Springfield that brought people together from all across the country. National media outlets came to the Queen City of the Ozarks and to satellite cities across the country. I was not in Missouri or any of those other designated locations, however. I was out west, in Seligman, celebrating with the Delgadillo family.
I’ve been the Preserve Route 66 manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation since July 2024. One of the grant projects I’m most proud of being involved with in that time is the restoration of Angel’s original barber shop. I admit I was not aware of this building until years into my Route 66 journey. It was built in 1923 by Angel’s father, Angel Delgadillo Sr. It was a pool hall with a little single-seat barber chair in the front corner. It served workers from the Santa Fe railroad across the street and was converted into an officer’s Club during World War II. When Angel started his own barber practice in the 1950s, in the same building, Route 66 was in its so-called heyday.
But things began to change in the early 1970s. Angel moved his shop to a new space on the re-aligned highway. The original building stayed in the family and was used for private functions, but it stayed out of the limelight as Angel began his efforts and Route 66 revitalization took hold.
In November of 2024, I visited Seligman for the first time as a representative of the National Trust. Angel and his family gave me a tour of the old building and told me about its rich history. The adobe and stucco structure was in bad need of rehabilitation. In rural Arizona, it’s hard to find a good plumber let alone someone skilled in historic mud adobe construction. But in Delgadillo family tradition, they persevered.
Through support from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the National Trust, and others, restoration began in 2025. While thousands of people reveled in Missouri to celebrate its status as the Birthplace of Route 66, hundreds of others reveled in Arizona, the Birthplace of Historic Route 66, and the man that made it possible.
Right now, there are literally hundreds of projects underway along the Route 66 corridor to celebrate the Centennial. Already, I’ve seen some scuttle from folks complaining that this is changing the fabric of the road. And that’s not entirely wrong. Spots like the famous Blue Whale in Catoosa are being transformed and it’s going to feel different than it has in the past. Other historic sites continue to be lost and I wouldn’t be surprised if a wave of retirements after the Centennial is over will cause even further change along the highway.
Route 66 has been evolving since the day it was created. It’s not just a gateway to nostalgia, it’s a window into who we are as a nation. I truly believe that. It is absolutely crucial to continue advocating for and funding preservation efforts for what remains. All of the new stuff is great, but we can’t lose the connection to the road’s authentic story. That’s what makes Route 66 what it is today.
But to remain vibrant and alive for the next generation, it must also adapt. You can’t be nostalgic for a time you never experienced (that’s a whole different term) and Route 66 means something different to the kids of today than it did to their grandparents. Yes, there are people getting involved in the Route 66 Centennial that only see it as a payday…but those efforts will either wither on the vine or the grifters will move on to the next thing. Roadies are pretty good about supporting one another and the businesses that are in it for the long haul. And, in most cases, welcoming those that have decided to be a part of something greater than themselves.
And now, a note about a major upcoming event!
On June 6th, I am leading a Route 66 Centennial Caravan that will drive from Santa Monica, California to Chicago, Illinois. It will take us 20 days to traverse the highway and we’ll be stopping along the way to highlight preservation success stories…while letting folks know that nothing stops in 2027. The road will still be here…and so will the local businesses and the people that define the experience. You can join us or just come out and say hello as we come through your town. You can find more information and sign up for updates at www.route66caravan.com.
Rhys' Pieces 