ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The weathered old sign that once served as a beacon to travelers along a stretch of Route 66 just outside of New Mexico’s largest city has been donated to a visitor center that will be dedicated to the historic roadway, Albuquerque city officials said Friday.
The Mountain Lodge Motel sign has been removed and placed into storage until the new venue is ready. City officials called it a piece of history, saying its preservation will help provide a greater understanding of Route 66 for future generations.
The sign was donated by Owen St. Germain, who was close to having it demolished after he bought the property to build a home.
“I have been amazed at the interest the sign has been to locals as well as tourists who would stop by daily to take pictures,” he said.
The sign had sat along Route 66 since the 1940s. The motor lodge had been converted into an apartment complex and then was destroyed by fire in 2014.
Lucas Luna from Build It Right, the Belen-based company that transported the sign, said people were stopping at the site and sharing stories about those who used to stay at the lodge. He said others referred to the sign as “an old friend” they would pass every day on their drive to work or daily bike ride.
Its yellow paint faded, the sign features a jovial man riding a burro while wearing sandals and a big hat. The red script below reads “Mountain Lodge...”
Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña has been working with Bernalillo County, the state and the West Central Community Development Group to open the Route 66 Visitor Center. Construction is expected to begin in the coming months.
Albuquerque is home to the longest urban stretch of Route 66. City officials say it’s a critical driver of small business and job creation and includes some of Albuquerque’s most prominent arts and culture attractions.
Known as the “Mother Road,” Route 66 was created in 1926 after the Bureau of Public Roads launched the nation’s first federal highway system, bringing together existing local and state roads from Chicago through St. Louis to Los Angeles. Small towns opened shops, motels and gas stations to pump revenue into local economies just as the nation’s car culture took off.
One of the first roads in the U.S. highway system, Route 66 spanned more than 2,400 miles (3,862 kilometers) and ran through eight states.