Route 66 in the Mojave Desert - Presentation

ROUTE 66 IN THE MOJAVE DESERT - Presentation by historian Kelli Shapiro at the San Bernardino Historical Society
Since 1926, America's famed Mother Road has crossed approximately 200 miles of California's Mojave Desert, from Needles to the Cajon Pass. This presentation will delve into the history, evolution, and current status of this important stretch of Route 66.
Topics explored will include:
* The rise, bypassing, and decline of the road (and the desert communities and oft-isolated businesses along it);
* The area’s roadside icons (such as motels, gas stations, and restaurants);
* Historic preservation, memorialization, revitalization, and heritage tourism efforts;
* Events and celebrations in the area during the road's 2026 centennial year.
BIO
Kelli Shapiro is a public historian and historic preservationist. She is on the board of the nonprofit California Historic Route 66 Association, which began in 1990 to foster, expand, promote, and perpetuate public awareness relating to the development, history, and significance of Route 66 in California.
Kelli researched and wrote the Los Angeles Conservancy's successful California Register of Historical Resources nomination for the Azusa Foothill Drive-in Theatre, located on Route 66 in her hometown of Azusa.
Kelli is also the author of two local history books in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, including "Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley Movie Theatres" (2024).