America’s Mother Road & its mayor turn 90 Second of 2 parts

Angel Delgadillo was born April 19, 1927 on Route 66 in Seligman where he grew up and still resides. In 1947, he followed the highway to Pasadena, Calif., where he attended barber school, then to Williams, Ariz., where he completed an apprenticeship.

In 1950, Delgadillo opened his own barber shop on Route 66 in the building once owned by his late father. Angel Delgadillo, Sr., an immigrant from Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico had a barbershop and pool hall there. That was before the highway had “its now-famous name,” Delgadillo said.

To weather the Great Depression, he and five of his eight siblings, Augustine, Joe, Tony, Juan and Luz, along with Ray Peña entertained. The Delgadillo Orchestra performed big band music in towns along Route 66. They had an impressive run – 36 years.

“We played our last public dance in a country club in 1976,” said Delgadillo.”

The advent of the federal interstate highway system in 1956 eventually led to the demise of Route 66. It was officially decommissioned in 1985, and its trademark black-and-white shield-cut signs were removed from what remained of the original road.

“The government told the world that was the end of Route 66,” Delgadillo said.

It spelled the end for Seligman, too, bypassed by interstate highways.

“This town died Sept. 22, 1978 at about 2:30 in the afternoon, and it died for 10 long years after the government built the freeways,” Delgadillo said.

But he and his brother, Juan leading a small, but passionate group refused to allow the “bypassing of the highway to bypass the heart and soul of America.” They formed the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona – the first such association -- and on behalf of Seligman’s segment, successfully lobbied for official designation as an Arizona Historic Road, National Scenic Byway and All-American Road.

Theirs and others’ efforts elsewhere eventually led to the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, authorized by Congress and managed by the National Parks Service. Today, all eight states on Route 66 have Historic Route 66 associations.

“Seligman has the distinction of being where Route 66 had its historic rebirth,” Delgadillo boasted.

In 1987, he and his wife, Vilma opened the first Route 66 gift shop in the building where Delgadillo had his barbershop. It’s still a family-owned enterprise. Delgadillo’s daughters, Mirna and Clarissa “Lodi” and her husband, Mauricio operate the gift shop/barbershop/visitor center/museum.

“Now there are 14 gift shops in Seligman in buildings once decaying, and our little community of 550 people is looking well,” Delgadillo said.

His business and community attracts tourists internationally.

“We have people coming from all parts of the world, and the most beautiful thing, they are all so happy and thankful. It seems like the world was waiting for someone to give rebirth to Route 66 so they could travel it, and they understand it wasn’t the government or high-power politicians. It was we the people that helped to save a little bit of America of yesterday,” Delgadillo said.

He’s been honored by the state government, the Arizona Historical Foundation and other Route 66 associations. He and his family featured in a National Museum of American History exhibit, and news articles about them have appeared in print and broadcasts worldwide.

“I’ve been interviewed by news media over a thousand times,” Delgadillo said.

The man also known as “the Godfather of Route 66” welcomes the world to Seligman and every opportunity to promote the road called home by four generations of Delgadillos.

I’m so happy,” he said. “Route 66 is a very big part of me.”