Walkabout With Wheels Blog: Historic Route 66 Runs Through Tucumcari, New Mexico

Tucumcari started as a rough and tumble railroad town. Area settlers looked to Tucumcari for the supplies they needed to homestead. Planning for Route 66, in 1921, included linking small towns and cities to a major national roadway. Route 66 was a boon to this city in remote eastern New Mexico. Hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops were built along the main road, (Route 66) in anticipation of expected travelers in need of services.

Not all travelers were welcomed in all cities and towns along Route 66. Sundown towns, where Jim Crow laws were enforced were unsafe for African American travelers. Many of these communities didn't post "No Blacks Allowed" signs to inform travelers that some travelers would receive service and others would not. Victor Green, a New Jersey mailman, created The Negro Motorist Green Book to help African American travelers find services along Route 66. The guidebook was sold in Ebony Magazine and Esso Gas Stations.

The interstate highway system roared to life with the Federal Highway Act of 1956. Interstate 40, a larger, more modern highway, follows sections of Route 66 in some areas and cuts off Route 66 in other areas. Once booming cities and towns began to fade away....

Tucumcari's heyday in the 1940s and 1950s is on display on Historic Route 66 (Tucumcari Boulevard).