Route 66: 2024 Cost-Share Grant Awards Announced

The National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 cost-share grant awards. The program provides grant assistance for eligible historic preservation, research, oral history, interpretative, and educational projects that help preserve the special places and stories of historic Route 66. Since 2001, 179 projects have been awarded $2.72 million with $4.5 million in cost-share match, totaling $7.10 million in public-private investment toward the revitalization and commemoration of the Route 66 corridor.

In 2024 the grant awards go to:

California Information Bureau Building

Photo/Daggett & Calico Historical Society

Route 66 Corridor California Information Bureau Building Rehabilitation

• Location: Daggett, California

• Applicant: Private Owner

• NPS Grant: $20,000

• Cost-Share Match: $20,000

Many have wondered about the striking building in Daggett, California at the intersection of historic US 66 and 91. It is set in the scorching heat of the Mojave Desert, although its iconic roof evokes a cooler climate earning it the nickname “Ski Slope House” and “Russian House”.

Built in 1926, the building was once a California welcome center operated by the California Information Society. The Society was established in 1891 and served similar functions that the California Office of Tourism and Visit California do today. The Society ran offices in key areas where travelers entered California and offered free information about where to go, how to get there, and where to stay and eat. They would plan itineraries and handle all travel arrangements including transportation, hotels, restaurants, and tours. The services were free to the public.

The California Information Bureau building in Daggett is one of several that were located next to agricultural inspection stations in Daggett, Yuma, Blythe, Daggett, Truckee, Hornbrook, and Crescent City California. You can see the buildings in historic photos such as those taken by Dorothea Lang. The station in Daggett later operated as Ma Millet’s Cafe and is the last known remaining example of these iconic buildings. Grant funds will assist with restoration of the building to its original appearance, which will open as a museum.

Osterman Fueling Station, Peach Springs.

Photo/Arizona Preservation Foundation

Osterman Fueling Station Rehabilitation

• Location: Peach Springs, Arizona

• Applicant: Hualapai Indian Tribe

• NPS Grant: $30,000

• Cost-Share Match: $30,000

The town of Peach Springs, Arizona sits within the traditional lands of the Hualapai people and serves as the Hualapai Tribe’s political and commercial center. Route 66 was established through the town in 1926 and in 1929 Swedish immigrant John Osterman built an impressive fueling station using a concrete block kit from the Sears-Roebuck catalog. The station is not currently in operation but holds many memories for Hualapai elders who grew up either working or shopping there.

The Hualapai Tribe purchased the station in 2005 with the goal of preserving it and nominated it to the National Register of Historic Places. Recently, the building was damaged when extreme weather caused the roof and a wall to collapse, leading the National Trust for Historic Preservation to name it as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Places in 2023. Today the Hualapai Tribe is developing a preservation and reuse plan for the station as part of a larger revitalization effort for Peach Springs. Community members have expressed interest in a variety of potential future uses for the station such as a museum, visitor center, artist guild, gift or coffee shop, and electric/gas station. NPS cost-share grant funds will support restoration of the canopy as part of the larger restoration effort.

State line, Arizona-New Mexico, by Arthur Rothstein, 1940.

Photo/Farm Security Administration

Route 66 Road to Discovery and Learning Project

• Location: Route 66 in New Mexico

• Applicant: 302 Stories, Inc.

• NPS Grant: $15,550

• Cost-Share Match: $23,250

As a vital transportation corridor across the United States, Route 66 played a significant role in shaping the history and identity of the communities along its path. In New Mexico, the landscapes, landmarks, and historical sites along the route hold deep rooted memory and stories of community, place and tradition and have become cherished destinations for travelers, history enthusiasts, and tourists from around the world. The Route 66 Road to Discovery and Learning Project will develop educational materials to raise awareness about Route 66 so that future generations can appreciate and learn from the iconic road in New Mexico.

Three video educational modules will be produced for use in public and private schools throughout New Mexico. The modules will introduce middle and high school students to different facets of Route 66 while also meeting specific New Mexico Public Education Department academic standards. The modules will use archival photos, 30+ hours of never seen before broadcast video footage of Route 66 in New Mexico, and new footage to weave past and present oral history interviews with scripted narration and music to explore the history, industries, people, and culture connected to this famous highway. Potential topic areas include history, geography, culture and literature, economics, art, social studies, science and technology. The modules will be made available to the public and distributed through YouTube and other organizations interested in promoting and teaching about Route 66.

Rosie the Riveter Mary L. Ruiz at the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles.

Photo/Assertion Films

Route 66 Wartime Women

• Location: National Route 66

• Applicant: Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership

• NPS Grant: $24,182

• Cost-Share Match: $35,681

Historically, Route 66 was part of the Strategic Highway Network, a system of roads identified as critical to the US Department of Defense. Throughout WWII and the Cold War years, women played pivotal roles in traditionally male-dominated sectors. The “Route 66: Wartime Women” project directed by Assertion Films aims to honor and celebrate their unique experiences, perspectives, and stories to amplify diverse voices and enrich collective understanding of this historic highway.

"Route 66: Wartime Women" is a multifaceted project comprising documentary short films, a story map, and a comprehensive lesson plan tailored for 6th-10th grade classrooms. The project will delve into the intersection of international conflicts, the military industrial complex, and women's experiences along the Route 66 corridor. Beyond classroom use, the project will extend its reach to organizations like the Girl Scouts and international institutions to foster a deeper understanding of American history through the lens of Route 66. NPS grant funding will support crucial aspects such as filming interviews, postproduction work including editing and website development, as well as the creation of lesson plans and overall project administration. The resulting materials will be available to the public for educational use and other purposes.

Route 66 Preservation Program Home