I, HIGHWAY 66

I am the oldest transcontinental highway in Arizona. I was first known as Ocean-to-Ocean highway and the Santa Fe trail; and didn’t receive my Number 66 until the Government designated me as such.

Historically, I date back to the middle of the 19th Century, for it was this way that many hundreds of the early western pioneers came, with their ox teams, wagons, and horses. Water was scarce and dangers many. Compare tortuous weeks of these old time journeys across Arizona with the present day pleasant smooth hours.

In the earlier days, I was a very rough, steep, dusty road, and it was quite an adventure traveling on me across Arizona. It is still an adventure, but in a much more pleasurable way, which I will tell you about later.

At first I was built by the various counties by bond issues with some help from the State. I was then taken over by the State, and in late years I have received a great deal of Federal help.

When I was first created I was very much of a step-child, and I was ragged and dirty for many years, but now I have a nice coat of paving all the way through our State.

Now let me tell you about some of the things you can see by traveling my way.

From the west, you come into Arizona across the Colorado River through Topoc and then into Oatman. This was one of the richest gold mining camps in the west of an earlier day, and is still an important producing center. From here you pass through picturesque gold roads, and over the mountains to Kingman, the county seat of Mohave County. This thriving community is a center of mining activities for a large area, and it is here that the new road branches off to the world famous Boulder Dam.
 

You continue east, through famous old Peach Springs, past the Hualapai Indian Reservation, Seligman, and into Ashfork. Here Highway 89 branches off south to Phoenix, and I continue east up over the rim, and into the town of Williams. You are now up in the pines and in the summer time, it is indeed a welcome sight. Just east of Williams is the turn off to the Grand Canyon, which is a sight unparalleled in the world and one which literally millions of people have traveled from all parts of the world to see. But to keep on my route.

The next town you reach is Flagstaff and it is here you truly come to the tourist Mecca. Here you may take many beautiful and interesting side trips, such as Oak Creek Canyon, Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, San Francisco Peaks, Lowell Observatory, Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and many others too numerous to mention. Flagstaff also has two thriving lumber mills, the State Teachers College and is the county seat. Seven miles east Highway 89 turns north through vast Indian country, the Kaibab Forest and on to Salt Lake City. I continue east to Winslow, which is a Santa Fe railroad division point and within easy access to the famed Meteor Crater; thence to Holbrook where you will find much of historical interest of the early days of our State. Holbrook is a trading center for a big area, and you may take side trips to the White Mountains and Petrified Forest to the south and the Painted Desert to the north. From Holbrook it is a short drive to Lupton, which is on the State line.

From the above it can be seen that I go through a wondrous section of our State, where life is always full of interest, and where you may tarry as long as time will permit and see something different every day.

It is of interest to remember as you speed along over my smooth coat, that my first paving in Arizona was in the town of Flagstaff. It was one block long, was laid in 1914, and is still being used in its original state. It is a far cry from this tiny stretch to the hundreds of miles of smooth highway which you travel now.

In conclusion I shall always remember the year 1937, for it marks the completion of my paving, the last having been put in near Valentine. I can now truly call myself a highway.