Urban Route 66, Williams on:
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It is flanked on the east and west by a
commercial strip with motels, service stations, and restaurants dating to the 1920s,
1930s, and 1940s. One block of this commercial strip is west of the business
district, and four blocks are to the east. The distribution and construction dates
of these associated properties in Williams are directly related to construction of
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
through Williams, Arizona
Williams ( yuf-x-hav, Wii GvĘžul) is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, located west of Flagstaff. Its population was 3,023 at the 2010 census. It lies on the routes of Historic Route 66 and Interstate 40. It is also the souther ...
began as a dirt street in the center of town which was
later cindered and then paved. Despite some modern encroachments, most of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
through Williams is lined with properties dating from the historic period. The four
block long Williams Historic Business District
The Williams, Arizona, Williams Historic Business District is significant for its long time close association with the American development of tourism, which in
turn became a principal local industry. The reasons for this were that the District ...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on December 20, 1984.
It is flanked on the east and west by a
commercial strip with motels, service stations, and restaurants dating to the 1920s,
1930s, and 1940s. One block of this commercial strip is west of the business
district, and four blocks are to the east. The distribution and construction dates
of these associated properties in Williams are directly related to construction of
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
.
Unlike many stretches of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
today, it is a good example of what the highway "looked like" during its heyday.
Williams continues to cater to the tourist trade, although Interstate 40 bypassed
Route 66 on October 13, 1984.
References
{{National Register of Historic Places Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona Williams National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona Williams, Arizona