When I-40 Bypassed This Arizona Town in 1978, One Man Turned It Into a Route 66 Shrine

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The Hackberry General Store, Arizona

Back when Route 66 was king, Hackberry General Store was just another Arizona trading post. Now it’s a living snapshot of road trip Americana, complete with sun-baked vintage cars, original Coca-Cola signs, and enough Mother Road history to fill a museum.

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Jim Music’s Silver Discovery in 1875 Put Hackberry on the Map

When prospector Jim Music found silver in 1875, Hackberry quickly grew to 400 residents by 1877. The Hackberry Mine produced over $3 million in silver (worth about $82 million today) before closing in 1919.

In 1883, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad built a station here, and the town became an important stop on the National Old Trails Highway, which turned into Route 66 in 1926. Inside the store, you can look at old photos showing the mining operations, including pictures of miners and the equipment they used.

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You’ll Find Over 10,000 Items of Route 66 Memorabilia Here

The Hackberry General Store holds more than 10,000 pieces of Route 66 memorabilia from the 1920s through the 1970s. You’ll see vintage metal signs, old gas pumps, license plates from every state, and all sorts of promotional items from the Mother Road’s glory days…

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