T. Lindsay Baker, a historian and author of two Route 66-themed books, died Thursday morning in an accident on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff, Arizona, while participating in the Route 66 Centennial Caravan as a Texas representative. He was 79.
The Texas Old Route 66 Association stated in a Facebook post that Baker had been driving his 1930 Ford Model A “woody” station wagon in the caravan. He’d driven the vehicle on Route 66 four previous times.
Bart Graves, media relations specialist for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, stated in an email that the two-vehicle accident occurred on eastbound I-40 at milepost 207 at 8:54 a.m.
“A motorhome was traveling behind another uninvolved motor vehicle when the vehicle in front changed lanes abruptly to avoid colliding with another vehicle, which was an antique passenger car.
“The motorhome was unable to take evasive action and collided with the rear of the antique vehicle, causing it to run off the roadway and roll over. The driver and sole occupant in the antique vehicle sustained fatal injuries and declared deceased on scene.”
Graves said impairment was not suspected.
The Texas association stated that Baker was a longtime member.
“His knowledge, friendship, passion for history, and unwavering support of Route 66 preservation enriched our organization and inspired all who had the privilege of knowing him,” the association stated.
I reached out Friday to an official with the Route 66 Centennial Caravan, who confirmed the caravan will continue its eastward trek across the country.
Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin, who is participating in the caravan, wrote this on Facebook:
To say I am devastated is a massive understatement.
T Lindsay radiated joy. He was always smiling and keenly interested in what you had to say. Last night, our rooms were next to each other and I returned from dinner (exhausted) to find this note. I thought about it for a moment, then knocked on his door. We had a lovely half-hour conversation about a variety of things that I won’t go into now, but it was mostly him giving me council and support. That’s who he was: he built up those around him. Time with T Lindsay was time uplifted.
Everything that T Lindsay did was intentional. The words he used, the points he made, the car he drove. He used every tool available to him to tell a story he felt was important. He was doing exactly what he wanted to do, the way he wanted to do it, and was surrounded by people that shared his joy. I am a better man for knowing Dr. Baker; we will not see his like again.
Marian Pavel of Touch Media, creator of the Route 66 Navigation app, stated:
I first met Dr. T. Lindsay Baker three years ago at Miles of Possibility. Those are the kinds of encounters I value most—he introduced himself with a warm smile, and from that moment our conversation flowed as if we had known each other forever.
Impeccably dressed, gracious, always in good spirits, highly knowledgeable, and able to speak engagingly for hours on virtually any subject—that is how I will always remember him.
I had my own encounter with Baker last fall. Baker was part of a caravan of eight Model A’s driving Route 66 that stopped in Tucumcari, New Mexico. You can read about it in my day job for the Eastern New Mexico News. He told me he was an ardent reader of Route 66 News.
Just last month, Baker gave a “Foodways of Route 66” presentation as part of the Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series.
His Route 66 books include “Portrait of Route 66” (2016) and “Eating Up Route 66: Foodways on America’s Mother Road” (2022), both published by the University of Oklahoma Press.
You can read the Route 66 News review of “Eating Up Route 66” here, which was described as a “must-own for Route 66 restaurant enthusiasts.”
Baker held degrees from Texas Tech University, earning his Ph.D. there in 1977. His teaching career included faculty positions at Texas Tech, Baylor University and Tarleton State University.
Baker’s career included museum work, beginning at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas, where he was curator of science and technology. He held curatorial and administrative positions at museums across Texas.
(Image of T. Lindsay Baker via the Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series)
So hard to believe. T Lindsay was a good friend and supporter of all things 66. I’m in tears.