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the 1880’s. These are the same tracks that ran parallel to Route 66 throughout the Southwest, and still run parallel to Interstate 40 today. Beale’s wagon road remained an unimproved trail across the largely uninhabited desert Southwest throughout the nineteenth century. Not until the arrival of automobiles in the first decade of the twentieth century did the American public begin to clamor for the route’s improvement. Cruising down Interstate 40 today it is hard to imagine all the people who have gone this way over the years. Even Canyon Diablo, so named because it was a major obstacle to the early travelers, is hardly noticeable at the interstate speed of 75 miles per hour when you cross it at Two Guns. Arizona was a tourist’s paradise from day one. The Grand Canyon, and Painted Desert, not to mention the romance of Indian Country and the Old West attracted visitors from all over the world. The Santa Fe Railroad launched an extensive campaign at the turn of the century to lure tourists out to the wild west and mingle with the local cowboys and Indians. With the advent of Route 66, tourism became a major economic resource along the old road. For many
Arizona
Dale Butel easterners, Route 66 in Arizona and New Mexico afforded them their first encounter with Native Americans. Arizona was Indian Country! If you like Trading Posts, Arizona was the place to be.-Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona
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Produced & Printed In The USA • Keeping You On The Mother Road • 2012-2013
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