Route 66 Centennial 2026 Speaker Series

Don’t miss the exciting FREE Route 66 Centennial 2026 Speaker Series. 

Every 4^thSaturday of each month through November at  11:00am – 12:30pm,  14 different speakers will rotate to 12 different locations and give talks on different topics related to Route 66. The closest location to Los Ranchos is the Raymond Sanchez Community Center located along historic Route 66. Los Ranchos residents David Montoya and Gordene MacKenzie will each give a talk that focuses on Los Ranchos and Route 66 (Their talks and locations are listed below).   

 For information on all the speakers and locations for the talks, visit the Route 66 website: https://www.route66speakers.org/.  

Speakers at Raymond Sanchez Community Center, 9800 4th Street NW

March 28 

Gary Herron: Motels on Route 66/Central Avenue in Albuquerque  

Who among us hasn’t spent at least one night in a motel in Albuquerque? Back in July 1975, Gary Herron and his then-wife checked into the luxurious Pinon Motel on Central, just west of Wyoming Boulevard. A half-century later, Gary now has an interesting story about the 100 or so motels that once lined Central Avenue, aka Route 66! 

April 25

 Hazel Lathrop, Tijeras Canyon: Five Miles of Road and Hundreds of Stories 

Tijeras Canyon with Tijeras at the east end and Carnuel at the west end has been an important community for hundreds of years. Communities thrive because of the people who live and work there. This talk focuses on those people and their stories in a time frame of 1900 to 1950. 

May 23

Jacqueline Murray Loring: The KiMo Theatre: Fact and Folklore 

The Majestic KiMo Theatre on Route 66. For ninety years, hundreds of thousands of adults and children have packed the KiMo theatre to watch ballet, drama, spoken-word, and to listen to poetry readings. Performers have acted, sung, danced, and spellbound audiences with magic. Local filmmakers flock there to watch their indie films come alive on the new silver screen. 

June 27 

Roger Zimmerman: Rerouting Route 66 through New Mexico 

This presentation addresses the factors leading to the establishment of Route 66 in the new Federal highway system and the politically charged changes that resulted in a 107-mile shortening in New Mexico during the 1926-37 timeframe. La Bajada Hill was removed as an obstacle and problems of crossing the Rio Grande and the Rio Puerco had to be resolved. 

July 25

Abraham Santillanes: Why turn left at Albuquerque? Albuquerque, Route 66 and the many roads that came before

Transportation played an important role in bringing Albuquerque to the significant position it holds today in New Mexico. Starting with Francisco Coronado’s trek from Mexico, through Juan de Oñate establishing the Camino Real, to William Becknell opening the Santa Fe Trail, many routes led to the original Albuquerque we now call Old Town. Later the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad and Route 66 helped solidify Albuquerque’s importance. 

August 22

Richard Ruddy: An Iconic View: Route 66 in Downtown Albuquerque  

Ruddy’s talk looks at the impact that Route 66 had on Albuquerque’s main street, Central Avenue. We see downtown grow from before Route 66 was founded to a vibrant business district the Saturday Evening Post said had “a blazing main drag” and which the Chamber of Commerce claimed to be the brightest main street in America. But there is a downside to this growth which the iconic photographs also show as the city today valiantly fights to find a new identity for its central business district. 

September 26

Aimee Tang: Chinese Merchants of Albuquerque’s Route 66 

As Route 66 connected already well-traveled roads from Chicago to Los Angeles via the American Southwest, Chinese merchants on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, New Mexico proved ready to be a welcoming destination along the “Mother Road.” This presentation will feature Fremont’s Fine Foods, a gourmet grocery store in the heart of Albuquerque established by Chinese immigrants in the early 1900’s. 

October 24 

David Montoya:   Land & Acequias along Los Ranchos’ Route 66 

David Montoya inherited his grandfather’s love and respect for the land. He will share stories about early Los Ranchos history along Route 66, including floods, agriculture, acequias and adventures with his grandfather who helped raise him. He recalls visiting nearby pueblos when he was young and remembered his grandfather spoke Tewa and told him he was proud his family had “Indian blood.” 

November 28

Roland Penttila: Little Beaver Town 

In the 1960s, Albuquerque had a theme park showing the west’s history with cowboys, old west towns and Native Americans. The owners collaborated with Fred Harmon who created the comic characters of Red Ryder and Little Beaver. They called it Little Beaver Town, and it was to be a Route 66 main attraction. But that was not to be. 

Talks on Los Ranchos and Route 66 

David Montoya:   Land & Acequias along Los Ranchos’ Route 66 

David Montoya inherited his grandfather’s love and respect for the land. He will share stories about early Los Ranchos history along Route 66, including floods, agriculture, acequias and adventures with his grandfather who helped raise him. He recalls visiting nearby pueblos when he was young and remembered his grandfather spoke Tewa and told him he was proud his family had “Indian blood.” 

March 28 at the Fred Luna Multi-Generational Center, 197 Don Pasqual, Los Lunas 

May 23 at the East Mountain Library 487 NM 333, Tijeras 87059 

June 27 at the Patrick J Baca Library, 8081 Central Ave NW

October 24 at the Raymond Sanchez Community Center, 9800 4^th Street NW

Gordene MacKenzie: Agriculture, Architecture, Artists, Bootleggers, and Businesses along the Mother Road in Los Ranchos 

Who were the residents? What were their lives like? What did they do and how did they survive and use Fourth street (old Route 66)? What was historic Los Ranchos like during the pre-alignment period from 1926- 1937? The Mother Road played a significant role in shaping history and identity even after the realignment and before the Interstate was built. 

April 25 at the Special Collections Library, 423 Central Ave NE, ABQ 87102 

July 25 at the Wheels Museum, 1100 2nd Street SW 

September 26  at the Martha Liebert Public Library, 124 W. Malinche St, Bernalillo 

Here is a List of All Speakers:

…and here’s the Full Schedule:

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Welcome to the Los Ranchos Historical Society! Our mission is to preserve, protect and educate about the history and culture of Los Ranchos.