Before the Trails Arch Bridge was built, people crossed the Colorado River in this area using a ferry service in the town of the Needles. This came to an end in 1914 when a flood destroyed the ferry. Cars were then allowed to cross the river over the Red Rock Railroad Bridge. Planks were placed over the tracks allowing cars to drive over the bridge when trains were not passing through.After the flood, Arizona, California, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and San Bernadino County decided to build the Trails Arch Bridge. The Kansas City Steel Company built it with steel using a cantilever system. It was erected in halves with each half built on their sides then lifted into place. The bridge was first part of the National Old Trails Highway (for this reason the bridge is also known as the Old Trails Bridge) before becoming part of Route 66 in 1926.A "new" Red Rock Bridge was erected to the north in 1945 and is still used today. Two years later, Route 66 was realigned to the original Red Rock Railroad Bridge, which was reconfigured for car traffic. The next year deck on the Trails Arch Bridge was removed and replaced by the natural gas pipeline that still operates today. The I-40 bridge was built in 1966, rendering the "old" Red Rock Bridge obsolete (it was torn down in 1978).

The Trails Arch Bridge was erected in 1916 and became part of Route 66 in 1926. It was the longest bridge in the country until 1928 and is a civil engineering landmark..

Fraser, Clayton B. "Old Trails Bridge (Topock Bridge, Needles Bridge). HABS/HAER Inventory, National Park Servic

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Click to view a photo showing all the bridges in 1969.

This historic bridge was built in 1916 and was located where the historic Route 66 once traversed the Colorado River. From here, travelers either crossed west into California or east into Arizona. An excellent example of a through-arch bridge, this structure spans 600 feet of riverbed and is 800 feet long. It was the longest bridge in the country until 1928 and is considered a landmark of civil engineering. The bridge now carries a natural gas pipeline and was Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The location on the map is the best place to view the bridge.

Trails Arch Bridge

This topic category includes highlights of Clio entries that share the history behind landmarks located on the former Route 66, an iconic national road that traces its origin to the nation’s first Federal highway system, which was created in 1926 by combining existing roads with new construction to create a complete road from Chicago to Los Angeles. In the near future, we hope to build a nationwide "History of Route 66 Trail" along with numerous smaller Route 66 driving tours. 

Route 66

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This tour is a work in progress - more entries will be added soon. 

Oatman started out as a small mining camp in the early 1900s shortly after gold was found nearby in the Black Mountains. The Mount Mohave Gold Mining Company acquired the individual claims that had been established and invested heavily in building mining facilities. This activity attracted people to Vivian and soon the camp became a town with businesses, a post office, and a chamber of commerce. The mine produced little gold, however, and the company stopped its operations.Another company, the Tom Reed Gold Mining Company, acquired the mine in 1906 and found a large ore body in 1908 that would yield $13 million worth of gold. The town's name was changed to Oatman after the discovery. It is likely that Oatman was named after a woman named Olive Oatman (1837-1903), who had been captured by Mohave Indians in 1851. Despite the discovery, Oatman did not grow rapidly until the discovery of another gold vein in 1913 in the United Eastern mine. Three years later, the town's population rose from a few hundred to 3,500 people. The Oatman Store was established to provide needed medicine and general goods to residents. Law offices and a dentist's and/or a doctor's office were located on the second floor. The store operated until the 1950s.Route 66 was instrumental in connecting towns like Oatman to large cities and enabling people to travel west. Tourists, former residents of the plains escaping the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, and World War II veterans and their families all traveled on the highway. Oatman was a popular place to stop. Businesses catered to visitors who shopped, got something to eat, and filled their gas tanks. Tourism became the main industry after the war since the mines had closed in 1942.When I-40 bypassed Oatman in 1953, the town's days as a Route 66 stop ended (Oatman was the first Route 66 town in Arizona to be bypassed). The population decreased significantly and there are only around 43 residents according to the 2020 census. In 1962, the Oatman Store was used as a backdrop for scenes in the classic western film, "How the West Was Won." The store was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

The Oatman Drug Company Building was erected in 1915 during the town of Oatman's heyday as a thriving mining center in Mohave County. The building is one of the few structures from the period as it survived a 1921 fire that destroyed many of the neighboring buildings. The building held a general/drug store for many years and at other times was a saloon and soda fountain. Travelers and tourists on Route 66 often stopped at the building. Today, Oatman is a destination for those seeking an "old west" experience and those wanting to retrace Route 66. Appropriately, the historic Oatman building has long been home to a shop that caters to tourists driving along what was once part of Route 66.

Oatman Drug Company Building

Oatman became a mining center in the early 1900s. Gold was discovered nearby on a site in the Black Mountains called the Vivian Ledge around 1901-1902. A company called the Mount Mohave Gold Mining Company was founded in 1903 and consolidated the small claims in the area. It built mining facilities as well. The mine did not produce a lot of gold, however, and the company stopped operations. In 1906, another company called the Tom Reed Gold Mining Company bought the mine and two years later found a large gold vein that would produce around $13 million in gold. Another vein was later found in 1913. That discovery sparked a boom in Oatman that saw the population growing from a few hundred to 3,500 residents by 1916. The population reached a peak of around 10,000 in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Oatman was first called the Durlin Hotel after its builder, John Durlin. The building today is not the original one; that was destroyed a fire in 1921 that razed most of the town. Several individuals owned the hotel over the years. The third owner, George Rayburn, bought it in 1939 and renamed it "Ox Yoke Inn." In 1967, the new owner, Robert Whitaker, named it the Oatman Hotel. The hotel today features a saloon and restaurant. The saloon's walls are covered with signed one-dollar bills. Miners signed their names onto bills and attached them to the walls so they could use them when they were low on money. Other visitors have done the same. Visitors are allowed to go upstairs to view the Gable-Lombard honeymoon suite.

The Oatman Hotel is the only adobe structure in Mohave County. It was built in 1924 when Oatman was experiencing a period of prosperity thanks to the productive gold mines in the area. Tourists traveling on the National Old Trails Highway, which became part of Route 66 in 1926, further encouraged this growth as well. The hotel is also notable for being where famous actors Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon in 1939. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Oatman Hotel

Kingman's history dates back to the late 1850s when soldiers from Fort Mojave discovered gold and silver in the mountains in the area. Mining camps were established and cattle were brought here in the 1870s to graze. The city was not established until a railroad engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad named Lewis Kingman oversaw the construction of a railroad line between Needles and Albuquerque from 1880-1883 that passed through what is now Kingman. Kingman was founded along the route in 1882 as a railroad town.Kingman grew steadily in the coming decades. The population increased rapidly beginning in 1900 after a large gold deposit was found in the Black Mountains. The Powerhouse was built to supply more electricity to the mines. As a result, the mines were able to expand operations, which in turn provided more railroad freighting business to the city. The Powerhouse also provided electricity to Kingman and to the Hoover Dam construction project. It appears the Powerhouse was shut down in the 1930s. It was restored in the 1990s and the visitor center opened to the public in 1997. The Route 66 Museum opened in 2001 and the Electric Vehicle Museum in 2014.

Housed in a historic powerhouse that was constructed from 1909 to 1911, this Arizona museum traces the history of Route 66 highway, a legendary road network that stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles from the 1920s until it was bypassed and eclipsed by the interstate highway system. Route 66 was one of the first major highways in the country, and while it is officially defunct, segments of the road continue to connect communities and the network of roads remains a cultural icon that holds an important place in American history and pop culture. The museum features a variety of exhibits that include life-size dioramas, photographs, historical items and artifacts, and murals with descriptions of the groups of people that used the route. The building also includes the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum, with 29 vehicles on display. The Powerhouse was built in two phases between 1909 and 1911. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Arizona Route 66 Museum and Visitor Center

The old Route 66 highway, the legendary thoroughfare that once stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. It features several historic buildings dating to the early 20th century that are associated with railroading and tourism such as gas stations, auto repair shops, gift shops, restaurants, commercial buildings, and motels. Some of these buildings are still open today and cater to travelers, both Americans and foreigners, seeking an authentic Route 66 experience. Famous attractions include the Snow Cap Drive-In restaurant and the Black Cat Bar. Several of these buildings are contributing properties of the Seligman Commercial Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Settlers began arriving in the area in the 1880s after the Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) reached what is now Seligman in 1882 (the ATSF was first known as the Atlantic &amp; Pacific Railroad). The town was initially named Prescott Junction because it was where the Santa Fe line intersected with another line that ran south to the territorial capitol of Prescott. In 1886, when the town was founded, Prescott was renamed Seligman in honor of New York banker Jesse Seligman, who supported the ATSF financially. Seligman was also an important division and shipping point for the railroad. Its location on flat terrain made it an ideal place for a switching yard and where goods and livestock from nearby ranchers could be shipped. A stockyard was built east of the railroad complex where tens of thousands of livestock (horses, sheep, and cattle) were processed for shipment. Workers (and their families) settled in Seligman and found work as mechanics, yardmen, machinists, storehouse keepers, clerks, and others.One important moment in Seligman's history was the construction of a hotel and restaurant called Harvey House in 1905. It was built by the Fred Harvey Company, which its namesake founded in 1876 and operated a chain of hotels and restaurants in the West (it also operated dining cars). The company was very successful, earning a reputation for good food at reasonable prices. The ATSF contracted with the company and soon Harvey House hotels were built along the Santa Fe route. In Seligman, the Harvey House was called "Havasu House," a reference to the local Havasupai tribe. It was torn down in 2008.In the early 1900s, usage of personal automobiles rose steadily and people began arriving Seligman by car instead of rail. This resulted in the need for improved roads and automobile infrastructure in Seligman and around the country. In 1912, the National Old Trails Road was created that linked various roads and trails into one highway that began in Baltimore and ended in Los Angeles. It passed through Seligman and numerous other towns and communities. The streets in Seligman were enlarged and streetlights and sidewalks were built. Existing businesses expanded new ones were established including gas stations, car dealerships, and restaurants. This growth was in response the increasing demands of travelers on the Old Trail. In 1926, the road was designated as Route 66, which soon became known as the "Main Street of America" because it connected so many communities together.Seligman peaked after World War II. Millions of people migrated West to California and many of them traveled on Route 66. Americans also started to travel around the country in large numbers and the Southwest became a popular region. Guidebooks noted Seligman's businesses offering services to travelers. Since competition was high among communities along Route 66, businesses created catchy slogans, used neon signs and other novel ways to attract customers.In 1966, Route 66 was widened in Seligman to relieve traffic congestion. However, ten years earlier, the federal government enacted the Interstate Highway Bill, which authorized the construction of a network of major highways. Many towns were bypassed in the years that followed, including Seligman in 1978. Virtually overnight, traffic in Seligman dropped significantly. As a result, businesses were closed and boarded up. In 1984, the ATSF ended its operations in Seligman.In 1987, a group led by local barber Angel Delgadillo established the Historic Route 66 Association, which convinced the state government to designate Route 66 as a historic highway. For his efforts, Delgadillo earned the nickname "guardian angel of Route 66." Seligman also became known as the "birthplace of historic Route 66." While not the bustling community it was during its heyday, Seligman lives on as a destination for tourists.

Signs proclaiming Seligman as the birthplace of historic Route 66 greet visitors on both the east and west sides fo the quintessential historic Arizona town. Claims about the road's birthplace can be found from Illinois to California, but this proclamation about Seligman is unique. Rather than claiming a piece of the Mother Road's 1920s origin story, Seligman's claim to Route 66 fame is related to a 1987 effort to restore the name of the historic route to what is now the longest still-operating stretch of the historic road. In that year, a group led by local barber Angel Delgadillo established the Historic Route 66 Association, which convinced the state government to designate Route 66 as a historic highway. For his efforts, Delgadillo earned the nickname "guardian angel of Route 66." Seligman also became known as the "birthplace of historic Route 66" as it is the starting place of the longest stretch of road named in honor of Route 66.

Seligman, Birthplace of Historic Route 66 Sign

The city of Flagstaff grew around a water source called Antelope Spring. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad built the first railroad to reach Flagstaff in 1882 and used a box car as its first depot. It erected the first depot building in 1883, which is just down the road. The company, which was often referred to simply as the Santa Fe Railroad, built this second, larger passenger depot in 1926. At that time, the previous passenger station became the freight depot. Over time, the city grew and became an important economic center for the region, and it also serves as a tourism destination owing to its history and natural beauty and proximity to the Grand Canyon. The city assumed ownership of the depot in 1992 and renovated it in 1994 and the building has been home to the visitor center since that time.

Constructed by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1926, this historic depot in downtown Flagstaff is listed on the Register of Historic Places and is also a contributing property of the Railroad Addition Historic District. Now called Flagstaff Station, the building continues to operate as a passenger depot for Amtrak and also houses the Flagstaff Visitor Center. In terms of architecture, the depot is a good example of Tudor Revival architecture and resembles a residential building. 

Santa Fe Railroad Depot

Thomas Forsythe McMillan was born in Tennessee on January 1, 1833. As a young man, he joined the countless number of prospectors who went to California in search of gold. He then traveled to Australia where he raised sheep. How long he was there isn't clear but he finally arrived in Arizona in 1876 and established a <a href="https://theclio.com/entry/115603" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">homestead</a> a few miles north of the city. McMillan again raised sheep and also built a ranch house, which still stands and is operated by the <a href="https://theclio.com/entry/13697" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Museum of Northern Arizona</a>. On July 4th of that 1876, a group of pioneers from Boston camped near a spring on his newly acquired land. They cut down a pine tree, cut off the branches, and hoisted it up with an American flag attached at the top. This flag raising ceremony was how the city got its name.McMillan became one of the more successful sheep ranchers in the the state. He also contributed to the town's early development, serving as chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the first Postmaster, and as a member of the first library board. As noted above, he finished the building in 1888 and it initially operated as a bank and a hotel. In 1892, the hotel became the terminus of a stagecoach service that brought guests to and from the Grand Canyon. At some point, too, the building operated an opera house on the first floor that became a popular entertainment and gathering venue. McMillan and his family eventually moved into the building.When Thomas McMillan died in 1906, his wife Kate continued to manage the hotel. Their daughter, Mary, and her husband George Fleming took over when Kate passed away in 1923. It is unclear how long the hotel operated and the building is presently home to a restaurant and other businesses.

Located across the street from the Santa Fe Railroad Depot, the McMillan Building is a historic commercial building named after the father of Flagstaff, Thomas F. McMillan. McMillan was a successful sheep rancher who bought the partially completed building in 1888, a year after construction began. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing property within Flagstaff's Railroad Historic District, which is also on the National Register. 


McMillan Building

Native American artifacts dating from 1050 to 1600 A.D. have been discovered in the Two Guns area. In 1878, Apache and Navajo Indians engaged in a violent confrontation when Apache warriors attacked a Navajo camp and killed everyone except three girls who were taken as prisoners. Upon learning of the incident, Navajo warriors arrived and attacked the Apaches while they hid in a cave. The Navajo warriors lit a fire at the cave entrance and shot the Apache as they tried to escape. The nearby cave is known as the "death cave."American settlers started to arrive in the mid-1800s. By then, they realized that this location at Canyon Diablo was the best spot for wagons to cross it. In the early 1900s, homesteaders acquired claims in the area. In 1914, two years after the National Old Trails Road (the predecessor to Route 66) was established, the site was surveyed to build the bridge. It opened to traffic on March 17, 1915. The town of Two Guns became a tourist stop thanks to the bridge. Stores, gas stations, and lodging accommodations were built for travelers. The town was eventually named after Henry "Two Guns" Miller, who was allegedly part Apache and Mohawk Indian. He called himself "Chief Crazy Thunder" and built a zoo for tourists. In 1926, he shot and killed a resident of the town, Earl Cundiff. Remarkably, Miller was acquitted and left town.The bridge was only used until 1938, when a new one was built just to the northeast when Route 66 was realigned. That course was later replaced by I-40. Ruins and abandoned buildings are all that remain of Two Guns. Unlike many other Route 66 towns that didn't survive when I-44 bypassed them, Two Guns lived on for a time. Modern amenities, including a gas station, coffee shop, motel, and gift shop were built. The zoo was rebuilt as well. However, these went out of business around the 1970s

Constructed in 1915, this bridge was later incorporated into Route 66 highway, a network of existing roads supplemented by additional construction to create a single road that stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. At this location, travelers on Route 66 crossed over Canyon Diablo using this bridge until 1938, when a road realignment led to the construction of a new bridge. The former town of Two Guns arose next to the bridge and became a popular tourist stop along the highway. The bridge was built of steel and concrete and features a cantilevered roadway and two parapet walls, one of which is solid to protect the roadway from floods, and the other is slotted to allow water to flow out. Route 66 was eventually superseded by Interstate Highway 40. Today, the bridge is surrounded by ruins of former buildings that once lined Route 66. The structure has not been connected to an active road for many decades but it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains historically significant as an early example of an automobile bridge in Arizona.

Canyon Diablo Bridge

For several decades beginning in the 1870s, trading posts were vital to the Navajo who depended on them for goods they needed. Unlike other tribes in the southwest, the Navajo fully adopted commerce and trade and produced large amounts goods. Traders seized the opportunity in establishing business relationships with the Navajo, believing that such ties could be profitable. These connections would also ensure a continual supply of wool and woven blankets. The Navajo and traders developed close relationships, so much so that the Navajo often asked traders to settle disputes and help bury relatives. Trading posts also became important community centers, sometimes operating as a bank, post office, church or hospital. Richardson and his family established posts mostly in the northern and eastern parts of the Navajo reservation beginning around 1900. They eventually built the trading post in Winslow to have access to the Santa Fe Railroad to ship their goods. While the Richardsons worked in the area for around two decades, the Hubbell family had been in the area much longer. John Lorenzo Hubbell (he was also known as Don Lorenzo) arrived on the reservation in 1870 and bought a trading post in the community of Ganada, Arizona in 1878. He built several trading posts and operated a number of stage and freight lines. He owned other businesses and ranches as well. Hubbell also served in the state Senate from 1912 to 1914. His two sons, Lorenzo Jr. and Roman, became traders as well (Hubbell also had two daughters, Barbara and Adela). He developed a good relationship with the Navajo and became the largest trader with them. Hubbell and his family encouraged the Navajo to create rugs and jewelry.In 1920, Hubbell bought the trading post and warehouse in Winslow from Richardson. During the Great Depression, the Hubbells and Navajo suffered from economic hardships brought by the economic downturn. One major problem was that flocks of sheep decreased drastically, some from 1,200 to just 70. This drop was disastrous as sheep were a source of food and wool. To stay afloat, the Hubbells started to raise cattle, founded a tour company, established a mail service, and even traded precious stones. Lorenzo Jr. also commissioned a Navajo family to weave the largest Navajo rug made to date in hopes that it would promote tourism and encourage visitors to buy rugs. It appears Lorenzo Jr. put the historic artifacts on display in the building around this time too. These included pottery, baskets, Kachina dolls, paintings, leatherwork and cavalry swords.The family went bankrupt in 1952 and the company was sold to Kyle Bales, who, along with his daughter, operated the trading post until 1972. Tourists on the former Route 66 continued to stop at the building, allowing it to remain open. The building then became State Park's offices, an art gallery, and an office for the Affiliation of American Indian Centers. The city acquired it in 1998 and converted it into a visitors center.

The Winslow Visitor Center &amp; Hubble Trading Post was built in 1917 for trader Hubert Richardson, who sold it in 1920 to another trader, John Lorenzo Hubbell. It played a critical role in strengthening economic ties between Navajo Indians and the rest of the country. Here the Navajo traded sheep, meat, wool, blankets and jewelry for coffee, sugar, salt, canned food, clothing and other goods. The building also included a museum that displayed Indian artifacts and historical frontier items. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It also houses the Winslow Chamber of Commerce.

Winslow Visitor Center & Hubble Trading Post

Released on May 1, 1972, The Eagles first single, "Take it Easy," included the now-famous line, "Well, I'm standing on a corner / in Winslow, Arizona / and such a fine sight to see / It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford / slowin' down to take a look at me." Three decades later, Standin' on the Corner Park was created.During the 1960s, Winslo was a bustling town, thanks to its proximity to Route 66. However, after the construction of Interstate 40 in the late 70s, Winslow suffered economically as several family-owned businesses began to close.In 1997, the Standin’ on the Corner Foundation began conceptualizing the park. They accepted hundreds of submissions from local artists and eventually settled on a statue and a mural. "The Corner" was officially dedicated on September 10, 1999. The Corner is also home to the annual Standin' on the Corner Festival, which celebrates the history of Route 66 together with classic rock.

Dedicated in 1999, Winslow's Standin' On The Corner Park commemorates the famous line in the Eagles' hit single "Take it Easy." The park includes a mural, a statue of a man holding a guitar, and a red flatbed Ford at the curb year-round. The park is located on the corner of Second and Kinsley Ave along Historic Route 66.

Standin’ On The Corner Park

Railroads were steadily built westward across the country during the 1800s as the nation expanded. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, linking Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Francisco Bay. The AT&amp;SF started to build a line from Topeka, Kansas to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1868. By 1880, when it reached Albuquerque, the company realized that it would not generate enough revenue and decided to make it a transcontinental route to Los Angeles, California. The line reached Winslow in December 1881. As a result, Winslow became an important division point for the company, which built a roundhouse, maintenance facilities, and train yards.The AT&amp;SF, which was commonly referred to as the Santa Fe, did not offer sleeper or dining cars. As a result, passengers were forced to get food from whatever was near the train tracks. This began to change when the Santa Fe partnered with the Fred Harvey Company in January 1876. The company's founder, entrepreneur Fred Harvey, saw an opportunity to take advantage of the tourists and other travelers on the Santa Fe. He believed that providing good food and lodging would encourage others to travel to the Southwest on the Santa Fe. Harvey was right. The Harvey House restaurants and hotels that began to open up along the Santa Fe line were immediately successful. Not only was the food of high quality, the company offered a fine-dining experience with the use of linen, silverware, china, and crystal. The company built hotels in hub cities where tourists could visit natural and historical sites. It chose to build a hotel Winslow to encourage tourists to visit Petrified Forest National Park, Hopi Indian archaeological sites, the Painted Desert, and other attractions. The La Posada Hotel replaced a smaller Harvey House that had been built many years prior. The new building featured 84 guest rooms, a restaurant, bakery, lunchroom, and a store for Indian art. The basement contained sample rooms for traveling salesmen. La Posada also became a community gathering place. In the end, the hotel was likely not profitable. The Great Depression was underway and passenger traffic decreased as people started to use automobiles. The restaurant closed in 1956 and the hotel in 1959. In the 1960s, the Santa Fe converted the hotel into offices. It was almost demolished on several occasions but the current owner, Allan Affeldt, bought it in 1994 and led the effort to restore the old building.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, the La Posada Historic District consists of the La Posada Hotel, the Winslow railroad station, and smaller buildings and a variety of site features including landscape elements, gardens, and a five-foot exposed adobe wall. A successful hospitality business called the Fred Harvey Company developed the site to provide lodging to tourists and others traveling on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&amp;SF). The hotel and station were the work of noted architect Mary Colter, who designed many buildings for the Fred Harvey Company. She often incorporated Spanish Colonial architecture and Native American elements into her designs, and she considered La Posada Hotel and station to be her finest work. The hotel operates today and includes the Affeldt Mion Museum, which is located in the station and showcases the work of native American artists. The station is also an Amtrak stop.

La Posada Hotel Historic District

When Chester E. Lewis drove
through Cave City, Kentucky in 1938, he discovered Frank Redford’s original
Wigwam Village and was inspired to create his own such motel community in
Arizona so that visitors along Route 66 could “Sleep in a Wigwam.” Lewis
purchased the rights to use the Wigwam Village name and constructed the
settlement in Holbrook, Arizona between 1936 and the early 1950s. It was the
sixth such village, hence its name as “Wigwam Village #6.” The village was a
success for about twenty years, until Interstate 40 was constructed near
Holbrook in the early 1970s, and Route 66 became much less traveled. When Lewis
had to sell the motel, the new owner kept the village open only as a service
station for several years. 

The name “Wigwam Village”
is a misnomer, as a true wigwam is a rounded structure made of timber, fur, and
mud; the Wigwam Village is actually modeled after the teepees of the Plains
Indians. Redford disliked the name “Teepee Village” and opted instead for what
he considered the more stylistically pleasing, albeit incorrect, name of “Wigwam
Village.” The Village consists of fifteen large “wigwam” structures laid out in
a rectangle, intended to model an American Indian village; even the two
flanking wigwams next to the main office are intended to represent the chief’s
dwelling place. These two wigwams serve as restrooms, one for men and one for
women. 

Each of the fifteen
wigwams is identical in size and is spaced evenly, with a juniper tree planted
between each one. They are conical, with a base of twenty-one feet and a height
of twenty-eight feet, constructed in a series of equilateral triangles for
support and built with wood and chicken wire. Inside, each wigwam has an
eight-foot ceiling (with the remainder of the structure’s height being hollow
or used for wiring and plumbing) and a partition that separates the bathroom
from the bedroom; the bathroom has a shower, sink, and toilet. The exterior is
painted with white latex and a red zigzag pattern along the top of the doorway,
designed to resemble lightning. 

In 1988, Lewis’s wife
and children repurchased the village and decided to reopen the motel that had
been serving only as a service station for many years. The office is a typical
administrative building complete with a gift shop and a small museum that holds
Lewis' Indian artifacts, his Civil War memorabilia, pieces of regional petrified
wood, and other sundries. The village holds nostalgia for Baby Boomers who
remember it from their childhood trips along Route 66 and is a popular
destination for people traveling along Route 66. Today, only Frank Redford’s
Cave City Wigwam Village and Wigwam Village #6 remain in good standing. Both
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Village #6 was added in
2002.

The inspiration for the Wigwam Village Motel in Holbrook, Arizona came when Chester Lewis drove through Cave City, Kentucky and saw the original Wigwam Village constructed by architect Frank Redford. Lewis purchased rights to the use of the Wigwam Village name and in 1950, his village was completed (the sixth such village, hence its name). Located along historic Route 66, the village is comprised of fifteen concrete and steel teepees arranged around the main office. Though the village suffered visitation when Interstate 40 came through nearby in the 1970s, Lewis’s wife and children renovated the property and reopened the motel in 1988. Part of the main office is now a museum, which holds Lewis’s collection of American Indian artifacts, Civil War memorabilia, Route 66 collectibles, and collection of petrified wood. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Route 66 in Arizona Driving Tour

Trails Arch Bridge

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information