LUNCH & LEARN WEBINAR: Route 66: The Next 100 Years
With Rhys Martin, Manager, Preserve Route 66 Initiative, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Wednesday, December 3, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CST
Route 66 remains one of America’s most iconic highways, yet even with its fame, pieces of the “Mother Road” disappear each year. As the Route 66 Centennial approaches in 2026, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is working to safeguard what remains and elevate overlooked stories along the route. Their efforts include advocating for a permanent federal Route 66 National Historic Trail designation, building a database of legacy businesses, and developing innovative GIS and crowdsourcing tools to document significant places. Recent work also includes grants to support small businesses, and facilitating a virtual Google Arts & Culture exhibit, which includes a story by Preservation Texas: Rolling Through Time in the Texas Panhandle.
In this webinar, Rhys Martin, Manager of the National Trust’s Route 66 Initiative, will share about the ongoing evolution of Route 66 and explain how the National Trust is working to ensure its legacy endures into its second century
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Rhys is a longtime champion of the “Mother Road,” having traveled the highway end-to-end. He serves as president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, chair of the State Route 66 Association Working Group for the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, a member of both the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission and the Tulsa Route 66 Commission, and an advisor to the Route 66 Alliance. In his role at the National Trust, Rhys leads community outreach along the route, connects sites with needed preservation resources, and supports the success of Route 66 grants and advocacy efforts nationwide. He is also an accomplished photographer and the author of Lost Restaurants of Tulsa (2018).
HOW TO REGISTER
Preservation Texas members can register in their online Preservation Texas account portal. Once logged in, click “Webinar Registration” in the left sidebar menu. If you are not a current member, we’d love to have you join or renew!
If you are unable to attend, don't worry! Lunch & Learn webinars will be recorded and uploaded to your online Preservation Texas account portal where you can watch or re-watch them later.