West of Tucumcari, NM on 66 we find the "Ghost Town" of Cuervo, NM. Cuervo almost a ghost town, with a few scattered houses and a century old Catholic Church. It is set on the historic segment of Route 66 that links Tucumcari with Santa Rosa. It was a small rural community in a ranching district, but the trains stopped stopping there in 1910, which drew trade to nearby Santa Rosa. However when Route 66 was aligned through it in 1926 it added some gas stations and stores to cater to the travellers. The town grew and had a couple of churches (still standing). After World War II, Jack Rittenhouse in his 1946 "A Guide to Highway 66" describes it as follows: "(Pop. 128... few gas stations; groceries; no cafe, garage or other tourist accommodations) A scant dozen dwellings comprise this small town...". The Interstate highway system which was created in 1956 would reach Cuervo in the late 1960s and deliver a blow to its moribound economy. Interstate 40 was built right through the middle of Cuervo and traffic zipped passed, not stopping there any longer. Now it is a scattering of houses and, the two churches.
After driving through the ghost town of Cuervo, we come to Santa Rosa, NM Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, New Mexico! Route 66 Auto Museum is a must-see on your travels through the Mother Road. It has over 30 cars on display, including classics, vintage, chrome, street rods, and more.
