One of the two “welcome arches” in Seligman, Arizona, was recently installed on Route 66.
The Seligman, AZ Welcome Arches account on Facebook said the sign was installed on the city’s east side.
The signs are the brainchild of Nancy Echeverria. She began a fundraiser for the project after her father, Patrick Russell, died in 2022. He grew up in Seligman and held many memories of Route 66.
More from the Facebook post:
This moment has been four years in the making, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it finally come to life. We know that Pat and Lilo would be incredibly proud — Pat always dreamed of having a proper welcome sign for his hometown, just like other nearby communities, and that dream has now become a reality.
This project began in 2022 thanks to the generosity of Pat’s daughter Nancy, along with her mom and sister, Lilo and Brenda, who contributed $5,000 raised in Pat’s memory. The Seligman Chamber of Commerce added another $5,000, and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona matched the full $10,000 — helping launch what became a long but meaningful journey to bring this vision to life.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated committee from Seligman Community Outreach: Lilo Russell, Nancy Echeverria, Brenda Bryant, Mirna Delgadillo, Mauricio Perez, and Nikki Terlesky. Your time, effort, and commitment made all the difference.
Angel Delgaillo also contributed $20,000 through the proceeds of the handmade birdhouses that he sold for the effort.
J2 Design designed the welcome signs, and Northern Arizona Signs fabricated them and installed the first one.
A dedication ceremony for the west-side monument, honoring Pat and Lilo Russell, will be at 8 a.m. on May 2.
(Image of the east-side Seligman welcome sign by Seligman, AZ Welcome Arches on Facebook)