The owners of the long-closed Painted Desert Trading Post in eastern Arizona temporarily have closed access to the historic Route 66 site because the locks and chain the entrance gates recently were removed.
Jim Ross, one of the members of the Route 66 Co-op that purchased the property last year, wrote Friday on Facebook:
I regret to announce that the PDTP will be inaccessible from now until mid-October when some of the Co-Op members return to the site. Someone has cut the chain and removed the locks. The ranch manager will lock up the gate, but we will have no way to allow access for visitors. Many thanks to Stephen Disbrowe of the U.K. for reporting this to us. Please share this information. Thanks.
In follow-up comments, Ross said two people regularly check on the property.
The Route 66 Co-op used a special lock on the gate that opened via Bluetooth with a special emailed code, which seemed like a pretty good system until the lastest episode.
Now it appears the gate will need a motion-activated surveillance camera to keep something like this from happening again.
The Route 66 Co-op in recent months has spent a lot of time shoring up the roof, bones and foundation of the Painted Desert Trading Post, saving the structure from imminent collapse and likely adding many years to its lifespan. The organization last year received a $20,000 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program for the stabilization.
Ross said in July the group will return to the site this fall so a professional craftsman can finish stucco work.
Dotch Windsor and his first wife, Alberta, opened the Painted Desert Trading Post along Route 66 during the early 1940s. Even along the Mother Road at the time, it was a remote outpost with no electricity or telephone service. Gravity pumps dispensed the fuel.
It closed in the late 1950s after being bypassed. The Painted Desert Trading Post, which sits about a mile north of Interstate 40, remains inaccessible except for that locked gate.
(Image of the Painted Desert Trading Post via Facebook)
Someone I know recently attempted to go through without success. The individual did not have a smartphone (alas, some of these people do exist) so he called the number on the gate. Unfortunately for him he had to talk to “Roamin” Rich, who failed to make an accommodation for this person to make a donation when he was able to. Ok, so they want money, which is fine, but he was apparently extremely rude and not pleasant about it at all. How unfortunate!
I actually had my own run in with Rich online once, after he basically stated that our stretches of 66 out west are full of trash and that nobody out here has respect for the road.
There are many places on the Route that are in need of assistance, that will appreciate your time, a donation, or just a purchase of a little trinket or a Coke or a piece of petrified wood. Anything that “Roamin” Rich is involved in, whether or not the great Jim Ross is as well (can they put his number up instead?), I would recommend to stay away and put your money towards someone or something that will give you back something even more valuable – a smile and a thank you!
Brando, I cannot speak about the experiences of others, but I can tell you that few people have done more for the road in the last 10 years than Rich. Those of us who interact constantly with tourists and fellow roadies are bound to have moments when we’re a bit impatient or less than tactful. As to the donation, we ask those entering the property to make a $10 donation via PayPal. This allow us, as a non-profit, to pay for the property taxes and insurance. Because none of the property owners live in the area, the smart lock via Bluetooth is the only way we can manage access. The gate belongs to the Padres Mesa Ranch, which surrounds the PDTP property, so it has to remain in place. If you have followed any of our fundraisers on FB for the work we have done there, you know that we are in fact extremely appreciative of the generous donations made by people like yourself. The building could not have been rescued without them.
The donations are optional. We appreciate them, but we don’t mandate every visitor donate. I really enjoy how people base their sentiments on hearsay.
I can’t give you access without a smartphone. It wouldn’t have mattered who you called to gain access. The same result would have occurred. You need to have a smartphone to access the lock. There’s nothing I can do to accommodate and before this particular visitor could even give me a chance to come up with alternative ideas like getting in with someone with a smartphone or possibly using a tablet, the man cut me off and said, “Fine… no it’s fine. – I’ll just keep on going.” – And he hung up. If people don’t adhere to the process that we’ve outlined and that so many others have easily followed, it’s not the Co-Op’s fault. Just like if you try to gain access by sending a request through FB messenger… It’s probably not going to happen because I don’t have time to monitor FB messenger. If you follow the instructions typically you’ll get in, but I am only one human and trying to balance the job of Gate Keeper, employer, and father of 5 sometimes creates a unique conflict that makes it difficult for people to get in touch with me right away. I appreciate the patience of those who had to wait around for me to respond. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the best we have right now.
This is our procedure. It’s the best we can do given our circumstances. – It surely beats having to station someone out there. It’s described online within our FB group and to date I believe this is one of two people that have tried to visit without a smartphone. This is how we keep the place secure and safe. Surely anyone that donated to our efforts wants to see us protect their investment and preserve what WE ALL have worked so hard for.
Brando, as far as the run in you and I had is concerned, I stand by what I said although I would never generalize by saying, “nobody” has respect for the land. However, I’m a man of facts and truth so go check out Querino Canyon bridge and Allentown bridge. Even on the satellite you can see it’s a dumping ground for locals. Look at any interstate off ramp through the southwest…. they’re generally completely covered in trash. I live in this country too and yes, it’s embarrassing to see how we treat our landscape.
The condition of many of the things and places along the 66 I fondly remember is truly heartbreaking. I remember the towns before the Interstate system when my family drove it from Chicago to California on vacation trips to see family. I also drove it from Chicago to Flagstaff many times while 1-40 was being constructed while I studied at Arizona State. I remember buying Native American crafts from families who just brought their wares to the shoulder of the road. The cities along the way were bustling every night when tourists stopped for the night and jammed cafes and motels. It was fun and kind of an adventure. Most of those small cities are not pretty sites today, and it will be a struggle to even maintain what is left. Tourists may be responsible for some pretty thoughtless damage, but sadly, some residents are no better. There seems to be little or no effort to clean up falling down buildings or empty lots. I took a couple weeks to drive 66 to Arizona this past Summer, and finally realized what a struggle it will be to maintain what’s left. Both tourists and residents have their hands full, for sure.