Did you get your kicks on Route 66? How to share your memories ahead of its 100th birthday
One of the most iconic roads in American history is getting ready to celebrate its 100th birthday, and people are being encouraged to share their memories about it.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation wants to collect thousands of stories about the people and places that have made the highway so special in advance of the 2026 centennial for the United States' "Mother Road."
The campaign aims to gather 2,026 public stories about unique experiences on Route 66 to be included in an interactive online map to be produced in time for the anniversary.
Through a virtual road trip, the map will highlight roadside attractions, small businesses, family histories and personal memories that contribute to the road's unique identity.
"Together, these memories will help us tell a more complete story of this iconic highway, ensuring that no story, no place, and no memory along Route 66 is left in the shadows," the National Trust for Historic Preservation said in a news release.
The iconic highway was commissioned on 1926 as a critical link between the Midwest and the ever-expanding American West, passing through Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Kingman and other Arizona communities.
Centennial celebration: There's still plenty to do on Route 66 in Arizona as it approaches its 100th birthday
Route 66 was decommissioned as a federal highway in the 1980s and the towns it bisected were bypassed by the growing interstate highway system. But Route 66 still holds an important place in American life, culture and history.
Anyone interested in submitting their memories of Route 66 can do so at https://savingplaces.org/your-route66-story.
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Campaign to share stories of Route 66 before the highway's centennial
