Money on the Mother Road

Jan Davis with Mother Road Bucks

Jan Davis, Director of Operations for the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona standing in front of the Memory Lane Gift Shop in the Historic Kingman Powerhouse.

It was the year Marilyn Monroe and Andy Griffith were born, Al Capone was at the height of his career, and Annie Oakley and Harry Houdini died. In that year the Kelly Blue Book and the Children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh were first published, television was first demonstrated to the public, high school students first sat for the dreaded SAT, and it was also the year that Ford announced a 40 hour work week. It was 1926, the year U. S. Highway 66 was commissioned.

To celebrate these 90 years, the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona is releasing the Mother Road Buck Gift Certificate. The Buck, valued at $1 U. S. Dollar, is accepted at Route 66 attractions and gift shops across the state. Arizona sports the longest remaining stretch of Route 66 in America, allowing Roadies to pick up a Buck in one location and spend it in another.

“People can also keep them as souvenirs, like a Disney Dollar, or give them to family and friends” says Association Director of Operations Jan Davis. “It’s a little reminder of a time when a Buck really meant something. ”

The Buck is designed in an Art Deco style using fonts and graphics of the era that minted the Mother Road. A copper “ONE” is imprinted on the front of the note, celebrating Arizona as the Copper State. It also features a famous photo of brothers Angel and Juan Delgadillo sitting in the middle of The Road, symbolizing the day U. S. Highway 66 was decommissioned and traffic stopped. Angel, internationally known as The Barber on Route 66, has been the voice of the famous highway since co-founding the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987, and still serves as President Emeritus.

The reverse side of the note illustrates the Historic Kingman Powerhouse, which is both the headquarters of the Association and the first renovation project funded by their efforts. It also names the towns along the original 1926 alignment of Route 66 in Arizona.

Current locations where the Mother Road Buck Gift Certificate are accepted include Angel & Vilma Delgadillo’s Memorabilia Gift Shop in Seligman, Grand Canyon Caverns, and several places in Kingman including the Historic Route 66 Association Memory Lane Gift Shop, Kingman Visitor Center, Arizona Route 66 Museum, Grand Canyon West/Skywalk Information Center (located in the Powerhouse), Kingman Railroad Museum and the Desert Diamond Distillery.

Along with Route 66, who else is still kickin’ in 2016 to celebrate 90 years? How about Queen Elizabeth II, Alan Greenspan, Hugh Hefner, Jerry Lewis, Harper Lee, Chuck Berry, Mel Brooks, Fidel Castro, and Tony Bennett.