Major Transportation Facilities

The following are source documents which cover Major Transportation Facilities. They are intended to be used for teaching New Mexico history.

Federal Highways

  • Sec. Jardine Approves of System U. S. Highways
    Newspaper Article - Roswell Daily Record
    This is the article that announces the approval of the nation's highways. This is the start of naming such highways as U. S. 85 as a Federal Highway. U. S. 66 wasn't officially named until August

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

Route 66

  • Approval of National Highway System
    Newspaper Article - Roswell Daily Record
    This article is the official announcement of the formation of United States Highways by the Secretary of Transportation, which defines 75,884 miles of highway that will be forwarded to the American Association of State Highway Officials. The federal
  • Central Avenue 1943
    Photograph - Office of War Information Collections, Library of Congress
    This is a photo of Central Ave. in 1943. The photo was taken by John Collier Jr. as part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collections at the Library of Congress. In 1941 to 1943, Collier worked as a photographer with
  • Charity Function After Underpass Completion
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article provides insight to some of the fights that went on in Albuquerque regarding the location and use of the Central Avenue Underpass. The article points out that the Tijeras Avenue Underpass and Coal Avenue Viaduct were also included in
  • Completion of Central Avenue Underpass
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article discusses the ceremonies associated with the opening of the Central Avenue Underpass. Governor Clyde Tingley will be presiding and Oklahoma Governor E. W. Marland and wife will be
  • Cutoff Road to be U. S. 66
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article announces the official federal changing of the alignment of U. S. 66. Prior to this U. S. 66 went through Santa Fe and Los Lunas. Now it goes through Moriarty and along the east-west Central Avenue in Albuquerque instead of the
  • Federal Approval of Santa Rosa-Laguna Shortcut
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article documents the New Mexico State Highway Commission requesting the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads to designate the Santa Rosa and Laguna cut-offs as federal aid highways. The article points out the role of the Central Avenue bridge across
  • Hotel Franciscan
    Photograph - Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress
    This is a photo of the Hotel Franciscan by John Collier Jr. taken in 1943 as part of the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress. Address: Central Avenue and Sixth Street, northwest
  • Laguna Cut-off Oiled
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article discusses New Mexico State Highway Commission approved projects that will receive funding. The article discusses the segments of the cut-off that will be oiled between Albuquerque and Laguna. For reference, this road is identified as
  • Luna Lodge
    Photograph - Library of Congress
    The Luna Lodge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and described as one of the best examples of a largely unaltered tourist court remaining along New Mexico Route 66. In 2006, the motel was documented for the Historic
  • NM Legislature Approval of NM 6
    Primary Document - H. B. No. 28; New Mexico Legislature Approved March 19, 1925
    This is a copy of the bill that the New Mexico State House of Representatives drafted, approved and signed into law. The bill defined a road that will go from Santa Rosa and Guadalupe County to Moriarty in Torrance County.
  • NM Legislature, HB 28, March 19, 1925
    Primary Document - N. M. Archives
    This is the New Mexico House Bill that authorized the creation of a state road from Santa Rosa to Moriarty. The bill explains how bonding is authorized for Guadalupe County, but Torrance County is not mentioned. This legislative action in 1925
  • NM-AZ State Line
    Photograph - Farm Security Administration Collection, Library of Congress
    This is a photo of the Arizona-New Mexico state line. This is the entrance to Route 66 in New Mexico. It was taken by Arthur Rothstein in 1940 and is part of the Farm Security Administration Collection at the Library of
  • Rally Supporting Re-aligned Highway in NM
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article identifies Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway and discusses making plans for the formal plans of opening the highway. Paving of Route 66 is discussed. Clyde Tingley is the principal speaker at the
  • Record of Federal Support for Santa Rosa and Laguna Cut-offs
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This paragraph summarized the action of the Bureau of Public roads in including the cut-offs for federal aid. In effect, this action provided funds for the construction of the Rio Puerco Bridge and final road construction to achieve a paved-

Albuquerque Airport

  • Albuquerque Pilots Plan Mass Flight
    Newspaper Article - Roswell Daily Record
    The Albuquerque Airport was not dedicated in a ceremony. Commercial flights had already started. Instead local pilots met and used the airport to celebrate the occasion. This article describes these

Spaceport America

  • New Tag
    Newspaper Article - Alamogordo Daily News
    The article explains the features of Spaceport America as it receives a new

Interstate Highways

  • Some 500 Miles of Interstate Highways Open
    Newspaper Article - Albuquerque Journal
    This article explains the inaugaration of the Interstate highway sysem in New Mexico. It explains some of the funding of the Interstate system. Nearly half of the planned miles were open at the time the article was

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