Dana Eker

The Orphaned Arizona State Rt. 89 Dana Eker

Visualizing over 478 years of history along route 89 through the Santa Cruz Valley, using modern interpretation that stimulates tourism with colorful brochures, requires hard labor to pry away layers of land grants, ranching, wars, and migration. The original State Highway 89 was designated in the late 1920s as part of the Federal Highway System, the most important road in Arizona between all major cities and smaller towns from Mexico to Canada. Construction of the new Interstate Highway system began in the late 1950's and by the end of the 1970's, the distance from Nogales to Flagstaff was covered by three Interstates highways: 19, 10 and 17. In 1992, US Route 89 was decommissioned, abandoned as a federal highway. Expanding of Interstate Highway 19 will have more travelers whisked north or south in comfort without having the privilege to explore the dusty, rutted original roads that Spanish explorers trekked from Mexico into the Arizona territory. Layers of history continue to be buried as progress encroaches on the area. Presented here are personal struggles, migrations, failures and successes of the early pioneers, mostly unknown, who developed the area with shovels and picks. Travelers today are safe from the terrors of Apache wars, malaria deaths, ranch wars, and the biggest worry is tee-off reservations. Many people south of the border, believe Arizona is still Mexican Territory.