Seligman (Arizona)

Yavapai County

04-65420

Seligman is a small town in the U.S. state of Arizona. Its location on the former Route 66 made ​​it to the return on the importance of this ancient east-west connection to a tourist attraction. The place calls itself " the birthplace of historic Route 66 ."

History

Between 1889 and 1891, Seligman was founded by two families from the South who had lost their property after the Civil War and were then moved to the West. In the largely uninhabited territory south of the Grand Canyon in Arizona today she found a new home. They took over the area of ​​today Seligman by the Cherokee Indians.

After the Interstate Highway was completed 40, Seligman was cut off as many other places on Route 66 overnight from through traffic this important east -west connection. For most places on Route 66 with its motels, restaurants and gas stations, however, the transients were the main economic factor. Many places fell rapidly.

Route 66 nostalgia

With the wave of nostalgia for the old Route 66 as America's " mother road " in the late 1980s, moved to the small town of Seligman in the spotlight worldwide interest. One of the best preserved and most picturesque sections of the old road starts from the east, and leads in Seligman to Kingman, about the tangled Sitgreaves Pass on to Oatman and the Colorado shore at Topock.

In Seligman is the original fast food restaurant Delgadillo 's Snow Cap Drive-In, which was opened by Juan Delgadillo in 1953 and has since achieved cult status. Until his death on June 2, 2004, he entertained his guests with original sayings and funny jokes. His brother, Angel Delgadillo, one of the initiators and founders of the Route 66 Association, operating next door for decades the local hair salon, which was a meeting place of Route 66 enthusiasts from around the world and today serves primarily as a souvenir shop.

In interviews revealed filmmaker John Lasseter, the fictional town of Radiator Springs in his Oscar -nominated Pixar animated movie Cars is mainly based on Seligman. When researching on the Route 66, he met with the old barber Angel Delgadillo, who told him how it was when Seligman was cut off overnight stayed away from the traffic and revenue of the place.

Route 66 sign in Arizona

Swell

• Michael Wallis: Route 66: The Mother Road, Griffin ( 2008) ISBN 0312281617
• Holger Hoetzel: Route 66: Road of desire, Ullsteinhaus; (1992 ) ISBN 3550065582
• Tom Snyder: Route 66: Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion Griffin ( 2000) ISBN 0312254172