Dear Editor,
Well, here we go again! This time it’s our Kingman Heritage Preservation Commission who are debating whether or not they should remove Andy Devine’s name from the Route 66 street signs. Excuse me, but they may as well remove Kingman from Route 66.
Andy Devine’s name has been on the street signs on the part of Route 66 that goes through Kingman for 70 years. The Devine family has been a part of Kingman history for over 100 years. We have Andy Devine Days and the Andy Devine Parade every year. I guess they will want to do away with these events also?
They say no one remembers who Andy Devine was. Whose fault is that? Why isn’t that taught as part of our local history? It isn’t “woke” to study let alone remember history.
Without our history, Kingman is just another refueling stop for tourists! Route 66 is just a road that goes through Kingman — the only one the City and County make an effort to keep up.
There are other towns along Route 66 that have names of their local people on top or below the Route 66 street signs just as Kingman does. Those towns have the sense to honor their history.
Who are these people who want to throw away our Kingman history? How long have they lived here? Were they appointed to their positions? If so, by whom? The people of Kingman did not vote them into office.
Where do these people get the right to change our history and to cost us a ton of money—which we do not have—to do so?
The Route 66 Association of Arizona and the Mohave County Historical Society need to remember they are supposed to represent Kingman first—not Route 66.
Kingman’s history, like any other city, is important to the people who live here. We are not important to you, only tourists are.
We will still get the tourists because we are part of Route 66. That does not mean we ignore and forget our own history.
If you put this to a vote of the people of Kingman, the part of Route 66 that goes through Kingman would stay as Andy Devine.
Keep the name Andy Devine on our road! It is our history.
Sandee Samoska
