Historic Walking Tour

S: Snow Cap Drive-In

This well-known Route 66 restaurant was built in 1953 by Juan Delgadillo and family with scrap lumber that Juan collected while working for the Santa Fe Railroad.  After Dairy Queen declined his franchise proposition, Juan signed up with the Snow Cap Drive-In chain based out of Prescott. In 1997, the Snow Cap chain folded and, as the last Snow Cap in operation, Juan made arrangements to keep the name as his own.  The Snow Cap has become a world famous stop on Route 66, known for the wacky antics Juan developed and the Delgadillo family still dish up. 

1: Richfield Gas Station & Garage D&M Garage Arco Service Station & Delgadillo Grocery A&P Oriental Restaurant & Mini Mart J&R Mini Mart & Café

Joe E. Coons and Paul McMahon built the Richfield Gas Station & Garage in 1949.   Joe Delgadillo owned the building for 43 years during which time he was forced to change gas suppliers three times, from Richfield to Mobil to Exxon. Over the years, as the amount of traffic through town decreased, this building would slowly transition from a gas station and auto garage to a grocery store and small auto repair business and then to a mini-mart and Thai restaurant.  As Route 66 travel became popular it transitioned once more to a mini-mart and gift shop.

2: Private Residences (Duplex), Angel’s Barber Shop & Pool Hall, Angel & Vilma Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop and Visitor’s Center

In 1914, for a total of $1200, Bill Bailey built this duplex which housed two residences, one on each side of the building.  Families lived in the two small homes for many years.  In 1972, Angel Delgadillo transferred his barber shop and pool hall from the original building (#20 on the tour) to this new location.

 In 1987, the building also became the first headquarters for the newly formed Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona.  As founder and president of the Association, Angel, along with his wife Vilma, began selling Route 66 memorabilia out of the barber shop/pool hall.  Due to the Association’s efforts, the State of Arizona conceded to bring back the long dead Route 66 as a historic highway.  As the popularity of traveling Route 66 increased, and travelers came to see the man who spearheaded the movement, the gift shop grew and replaced the pool hall business.   The building now acts as a unique blend of gift shop, barber shop, visitor center and a museum dedicated to all the people who visit on their Route 66 adventures.

3: Private Residence

This house was built around 1925 by Frank Campbell, who also built the motel next to it (#4 on the tour) which is also made of sandstone.  The building was used as a private residence for 41 years but has been vacant since 1966.

 4: Court Deluxe, Deluxe Motel Deluxe Inn

Constructed of sandstone circa 1932 by Frank Campbell.  Used as auto court / motel from 1932 to present.

5: Shell Gas Station, Olson’s Shell, The Road Trip Museum/Return to the 50s, Return to the 50s Gift Shop

Built in 1961, this building was one of the locations of the bus stop, when Greyhound busses still stopped in Seligman.  After its use as one of Seligman’s many needed gas stations during Route 66’s heyday, the building was vacant from 1985 through 1998.  It was then rejuvenated as a road trip museum housed in the garage bay area and small gift shop in the old gas station office.  Currently the gift shop now encompasses the entire building.

6: Miller’s Dry Cleaners, Rainbow Café, Seligman Supply, The Rusty Bolt

Since its construction circa 1933, this building has had a long and varied career having been used as a dry-cleaners, a 24-hour restaurant, a hardware store, and a curio shop.

7: Thunderbird Indian Store, Rusty Bolt Antiques, Private Residence, Rusty Bolt Gift Shop

Built around 1955 by Reginald Sander.  In recent years, this building was merged with old Miller’s Dry Cleaning building (#6) to make the large building that houses the Rusty Bolt that you see today.

8. Corner Bar and Hotel    Built in 1928, burned down in 1962.

 9. Morris Cafe, H&J Restaurant. Destroyed by fire in 1974.

10. Bowling Alley. Destroyed by fire in 1974.

11. Shorty’s magazines.  Destroyed by fired 1974.

12. Bar, Town Tavern & Barber Shop

13. Barber and Beauty Shop

14. Hotel, Drug Store, Casino & Brothel (1903-1952)

15. Chinese Restaurant

16. John King’s Barber Shop

17. Clothing Store

18. Camilo Arduno’s Restaurant

19. Bud Brown’s Gambling Hall & Brothel

20.  Original Delgadillo Barber Shop & Pool Hall

This building was built in 1923 by Mexican immigrant, Angel Delgadillo Sr., on what would later become known as U.S. Route 66. The building was comprised of one large room for the pool hall and one small room off the back for gambling.  After realizing that the current barbers in Seligman did not cater to the large population of Basque sheepherders that resided in the area, Angel built a small room in the front southwestern corner of the pool hall to act as a barber shop.  He taught himself how to cut hair and built his first barber chair. In 1926, he purchased a barber chair for $194.00 (the equivalent of $2,500 today) which is still in use today at Angel Delgadillo Jr.’s barber shop and gift shop (#3 on the tour).

Because the ethnic groups of Seligman in the 1920s were not allowed to go to the Pioneer Hall and Theater, the pool hall became a social gathering place for dances, movies, and vaudeville acts.   Due to the cattle industry crowding out the sheepherders, the re-routing of Route 66 one block north, and the Great Depression, Angel was forced to close his business in 1933. During World War II, the building was utilized by the U.S. Army as office space and quarters for officers.  The enlisted men slept in tents pitched next to the building. After being closed for 17 years, the Delgadillo Barber Shop & Pool Hall opened again with Angel Delgadillo Jr. as barber. Angel Jr., one of Angel Sr.’s nine children, went to barber college in California and reopened the family business. He remained in the building until 1972 before moving his location to the higher traffic area of Route 66, one block north.  The building has not been used as a business since 1972 but the Delgadillo family still owns the beloved historic building.

21. Old Seligman Garage & Bus Stop

From 1905, when it was built by Guy Sykes, to 1933 this building was used as a gas station, auto repair, and bus stop.

26. Rental Cabins for Sheepherders

27. & 28. “Cribs” for prostitution (1920s-1930s)

29. Warehouse for store at Main & 66

30. Ice Storage (burned down 1930)

31. East Train Supply Room

32. Santa Fe Bull Lawman Office & Hobo Jail

33. Car Inspector’s Shack (RR cars and wheels)

34. Home Supply Commissary

35. Rest Rooms for Santa Fe Employees.

36. Dispatcher’s Office

37. Loading Dock for Automobiles/Warehouse

38. Crewman’s Office

39. Passenger Train Ticket Office

“The Havasu” 1905-2008  For more information about      Seligman’s Harvey House read the history on our "Seligman, Arizona" page

41: Copper Cart

The Copper Cart was built in 1952.  It is the place where the visionaries of The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona first gathered in 1987 to form the now famous organization.  Unfortunately, after 60 years as a restaurant serving the community of Seligman by different owners, it is now a store and no longer the classic diner it once was.

42. Pioneer Hall Theatre/Dancehall Ted’s Fountain “Famous for Malts” and Trading Post Seligman Sundries Historic Seligman Sundries

Built in 1905, this building was originally a theater and dance hall.  It was the location of dances, plays, and school events including graduations, until the school auditorium was constructed in 1926.  In 1930, it was then converted to a drug store and fountain soda shop. The drugstore acted as social gathering place for the town.  It is now a coffee house and curio shop.

43. Studebaker Agency, Standard Oil Station, Seligman Garage (Chevron Gas Station), Discount Foods, Garage 

Before the current building was there, this was the sight of the first garage in Seligman.  Gasoline was sold out of barrels from the tin building with “GARAGE” painted on the side.  The current building was built in 1934 out of sandstone by Tom Cook, Guy Sykes, and Jim Lamport.  It served as the Studebaker Agency for many years and later the Standard Oil Station.  The canopy was torn down in the early 1990s.

44. Nomad Motel, Romney Motel

Ever since its construction in 1962, this building has been used as a motel.  It was called the Nomad Motel until 1969 and then renamed Romney Motel in 1970, which it remains today

45a. the original Black Cat Bar 1935 to 1963.

45b. the new Black Cat Bar 1963 to present

The original owners, Tom and Maude Jolly, had a Café called Jolly’s “Black Cat” Café on Railroad Avenue, then Route 66 before moving locations around 1935 to the spot in front of where the Black Cat Bar is today.  At some point the Black Cat Café was purchased by F.E. Hyde and changed names to the Black Cat Buffet.   In the early sixties, the newest owners of the bar found out that the building needed to be torn down due to the proposed widening of Route 66.  So the owners built another building behind the original bar and one night the Santa Fe men and the locals who were patrons of the bar, moved everything from the old building to the new building. They literally moved everything out the back door of one bar to the front door of the other and went from serving beverages from one building to the next without missing a drink!  Once the transfer was complete they tore down the old Black Cat in 1963. Since then Black Cat Bar has been owned by many different people but has been open and remained where it is today.

47. Pitts & Washington Central Commercial

Built in 1903 by Jim Pitts.  From 1903 to 1926 it was a large store called Pitts & Washington, which sold everything from groceries to clothes.  In 1926, the building was sold to the Central Commercial Company of Kingman and renamed the Central Commercial.  It closed in 1965, and in 1966 the canopy came down due to the widening of Route 66.  In recent years the building has been used as a variety store and an antique stove store.

56. Aztec Motel

The original building, now consumed by additions, was built in 1915 by Juan Delgadillo (Uncle to Juan Delgadillo of the Snow Cap). Juan and his wife, Pancha, ran the motel, restaurant, and small gas station.  In1955, new owners built the additions you see today.