Route 66 Oral History Workshops

(Released: December, 2002)

The National Park Service is providing free training for anyone interested in collecting the oral history of Route 66. Starting in January, Professor Dunaway of the University of New Mexico visits seven sites along America’s Mother Road to lead weekend workshops. David Dunaway, co-editor of the classic Oral History: An Interdisciplinary Anthology, spent three years documenting Route 66’s overlooked stories and forgotten places for the 75th anniversary of Route 66, for National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and Public Radio International. “For me, Route 66 is a corridor in time as well as place—a grand avenue into exploring American history. Route 66’s image as a place for cruising and nostalgia is giving way to a broader understanding of communities and peoples left standing in the dust as the travelers passed. The old road lives on. For the most part, where the pavement remains, the people remained. Though there are places without historic markers, there’s always someone who remembers.”

The free workshops offer tips on recording; how to prioritize and organize interviews; and sources for basic research. Each participant receives a free oral history handbook.

The locations and dates for the workshops are tentatively scheduled as follows: Amarillo, TX (January 25,26), Chandler, OK (February 22,23), Kingman, AZ (March 1,2), Ontario, CA (March 8,9), Springfield, IL (April 26,27), Springfield, MO (May 31, June 1), Albuquerque, NM (August 23,24).
Registration is first-come, first-served. Contact a state Route 66 Association for details. The state associations can be reached through e-mail; the addresses for each state’s leadership are as follows:
Texas (teach66us@yahoo.com), Oklahoma (kand66@hotmail.com), Arizona (azrt66@route66web.com), California (jim@cart66pf.org), Illinois (AJon66@aol.com), Missouri (Furyon66@earthlink.net),
New Mexico (president@rt66nm.org), Kansas (nwoka@4u.net).
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