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| This is William Lacy Carpenter Sr.'s garage in Wickenburg. Many thanks to US 89 Team Life Member James W. Carpenter for sharing this awesome memento of Family History. See below for current view. |
Wickenburg, Arizona, has no need for an extra helping of history. Wickenburg's history alone stands tall and strong in the pantheon of iconic Arizona's culture.
Dear US 89 Team Life Member James Carpenter's Grand Dad ran THE major auto garage in Wickenburg back-in-the-day. It was right smack dab in what's now the chic core of downtown.
US 89 was the "step child" of major US highways driving forcefully through the Heart of The Grand Canyon State. US 89 tagged along for the ride with US 80 from South Tucson and then joined Muy Mas Amigos at Florence Junction and the Four Horsemen of US 60-70-80-89 rode roughshod through Main Street Mesa, the Tempe Apache Curve, Mill Avenue Bridge, Van Buren, Grand Avenue and beyond. OH, what Glory Hiway Daze those were!
But let's get back to Wickenburg. US 60-70-89 jammed up onto the WPA's Big Time Bridge across the Hassayampa River (AKA: The Liar's River). All those conjoined highways went straight into the Heart of Wickenburg. Two veered left and dived under the railroad. One went right to destiny.
Wickenburg is a great place today to ponder our Highway Heritage Legacy. You can stand on the historic bridge that shotgunned traffic right into downtown Wickenburg. You can catch a glimpse of the lasting remnant of an ancestral auto fueling station and garage.
Wickenburg is rich in history of its own. It's unlikely anyone there will ever "catch on" to the town's Highway History. It would make a Good Story if they did and certainly make the town a compelling stop for Highway Heritage Tourists in seek of an authentic connection to the Old Days.
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| Underneath the historic photo above---IF you look closely, you will see a tell tale diagonal roof section. Here it is in modern times, photographed on March 24, 2018, during The Drive from Mexico to Canada.  |
Wickenburg... pic.twitter.com/h9rgt0TUb4
— US89 (@US89Team) March 24, 2018
