On November 11, 2026, Route 66 and the U.S. Highway system will be officially 100 years old. All across America–and the world for that matter–fans of the “Mother Road” will celebrate the famous highway’s centennial. But, why U.S. Highway 66 became symbolic of American freedom—and is considered “America’s Main Street”—is a much deeper story of how the U.S. Highway system transformed America in the mid-20th century from a railroad nation into an automobile nation. Locally, in Prescott, Arizona, local leader Grace Sparkes knew that the auto revolution was the key to the former territorial capital and Yavapai County Seat’s economic future and fought hard to ensure that “everybody’s hometown” would be an economic crossroad city of the new U.S. Highway network. Her visionary leadership and boosterism brought U.S. 89 right through downtown Prescott, connecting the city with U.S. 66 to the north and U.S. 60 to the south. A century later, we will celebrate Route 66 and the origins of the greatest transportation revolution in America since the transcontinental railroads were built after the Civil War–and Prescott’s role in transforming Arizona and the West.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Moore, whose work is currently on exhibit at Sharlot Hall Museum.