|
Later known as the
New Mexico
Central Railroad, the line was absorbed by the
Santa Fe Railroad in 1926. The depot was replaced by a small frame building and a wooden boxcar
in 1949. The original depot passed through several hands
over the years serving as a feed store, a workshop, and a Catholic
Church.
Moriarty became a part of
Route 66
in 1938 with the re-alignment of
Route 66. The small town, like many others along
Route 66,
rose to the occasion with a number of motor courts, restaurants and
other services. Many of these continue to stand and operate in
Moriarty today.
As you first enter town you will see the Sunset Motel
and the last operating
Whiting Brothers Service
Station on the right side of the road. Across the highway is the
Sands Motel.
In the southwest,
Whiting Brothers gas stations
were a familiar site along
Route 66,
a tradition that continued until the 1990’s when the gas station chain
ended. The old
Whiting Brothers station
in Moriarty
is the only one that
is left thanks to Sal Lucero, a lifelong employee of
Whiting Brothers. In
the 1980's, Lucero bought the station from the
Whiting Brothers and never
bothered to change the name. Today it continues to stand as a
tribute to the heydays of
Route 66.
A bit further down you’ll see the Boot Shoe Shop, which
was once home to the old Crossley Service Station. Across the
street, stands the old Yucca and Cactus Motels, long closed, as well
as the Lariat and Ponderosa Motels, which continue to operate to this
day. While in
Moriarty, be sure to check
out the El Comedor Restaurant’s new restored "rotosphere.” Consisting of two vertically counter-rotating spiked hemispheres, the
entire unit rotates horizontally above a pole. Each of the
8-foot long rainbow-colored spikes are individually outlined in neon. The rotosphere is believed to be the only operational one of its kind
along the entire length of
Route 66
thanks to the
Route 66
Neon Restoration Project. The project, managed by the
New Mexico
Route 66
Association, partnering with the
New Mexico
Historic Preservation Division and the National Park Service
Route 66
Corridor Preservation Office, has restored the ratosphere as well as
ten other vintage
Route 66
signs across
New Mexico. The El Comedor is located at 1005
Route 66.
While in Moriarty you can also stop at the
Moriarty Historical Society Museum, housed in
the town’s first fire station. The museum focuses on the growth and
development of the town during its early railroad days. Located at
777 Old U.S.
Route 66,
admission is free.
As you leave Moriarty,
Route 66
becomes Highway 333 and shares the road with the Salt Missions Trail
Scenic Byway to Tijeras. Along this stretch some original
architecture remains as well as the spirit of
Route 66 at
the many modern family-operated businesses along the old route. Leaving the flatlands, the byway begins to rise in elevation as you near
Edgewood,
on the very edge of the mountains, as its name implies.
Continued Next
Page
|
