America's "Main Street"

The old Route 66 is still evident all over New Mexico. Part of Interstate 40 follows the old highway. The first runway at the Santa Rosa airport is part of Route 66. Born in 1926, Route 66 has always gone through Santa Rosa, giving the town a huge economic boost. Originally, it went north to Las Vegas, NM and in 1937, it was rerouted and went more directly west, along what is now the path of I 90. When Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was made into a movie, Santa Rosa was one of the sites where it was filmed - you might remember the steam engine going over the Pecos River. It is that wild river that was dammed in 1982 and created Santa Rosa Lake... and Santa Rosa Lake is why we are here. As I type this Mike is at the lake trying to catch a crappie or walleye or anything else that will bite. But I digress.

Route 66, America's Highway, was created to make the entire United States accessible to the average American motorist. Since we are two average motorists who spend a lot of time on America's highways, I feel a kind of kinship to the old highway. And what a joy to photograph some of its history.

Did this old clunker motor along the highway, perhaps taking someone to visit a relative in a neighboring county? Now it blends in with the adobe block of the old building.

What were "figural bottles" or am I reading this window sign wrong?

Who were the Wilkerson's? I think they must have owned a a gas station along this old highway; probably sold tires and washed windshields, too.

I wonder how many people passed through this doorway on an average day in the 40's. Perhaps it was a general store; this looked like it might have been the back or side entrance.

Just think about the adventure of being on a road trip and checking into a "motor court" like this. I remember traveling in the 50's and early 60's with my parents and whenever we stopped at a small motel for the night, mom would always ask to see the room and check the cleanliness before paying for the room. I loved staying in those motels; some even had swimming pools

Can you read the faded sign on this building? It says Cold Drinks...
and a close up of the window...

shows an old bottle. You have to look close to see the secrets these abandoned places have to share.

Do you think a young child may have looked out this window at the Route 66 highway and dreamed about going somewhere...

even while she was suppose to be listening to the sermon?

A short drive further east on "the highway for the average American motorist" and we came to another deserted town. Different homes tell us about the different eras in the history of this community.

I wonder if this one came complete with a Sears Catalog ... and peach papers. Mom used to talk about poor people who used the tissue wrappers from peaches as toilet paper.

Now the doors hang loose
and the fences are falling down, but once people lived and worked and thrived in this community. I wonder to where the descendants have scattered

There must be children of the children who attended this school somewhere... do they still own the buildings or were they lost for back due taxes?
I love the stories that drift through my mind as I take the pictures and later as I look at them.

After we left America's Main Street, we went south to Puerto de Luna. This town was in its heyday in the early 1900's. Located on the Pecos River, it thrived as an agricultural area. Then the railroad came to the southwest and it bypassed the town and went through Santa Rosa. By the 1920's, the town was barely noticeable on the horizon.

The Catholic Church built in those early days still has weekly mass for the people who live on the farmlands in the area. The day we visited, a young fellow was transplanting some trees on the church yard and with him were his little boy and girl. Both kids gave us each a hug; they have already learned that church equates with safe. What a warm and friendly welcome.

I am sure that many generations have heard this bell announcing Sunday mass.

Have you ever seen a cross of aluminum?

A beautiful church - unfortunately, it was not open.

There were lilacs blooming on the church grounds.

The man we met working in the yard told us to drive a bit further and see a church near his home. So we drove across the Pecos River and came upon this very small chapel. Tulips were planted along the walkway but past the bloom.
A view through the window showed a well kept house of worship

including rosaries hanging on the pew.

Next door were many old cars including this one.

And across the street was an old cemetary. An exploration showed simple grave markers, many without names and handmade.

There were three wooden crosses in this old cemetary. The rural setting and the Easter Season made it a very spiritual setting.

After a long day of touring and taking pictures we returned to Santa Rosa State Park. Today was a day of fishing and rest. Oh, Mike did get one - first of many hopefully!