ABINGTON, Pa. — In this Q&A, E Connor, a fourth-year English major at Penn State Abington, discussed their undergraduate research project “Not Saving Places: Route 66 at 100” and what they discovered along the road.
The project traces the evolution of the highway, highlighting how historic stops along it have seen significant decline in the first quarter of the 21st century. The National Trust for Historic Preservation added it to its Endangered Places list almost a decade ago. Connor’s work was supported by Jimmy J. Pack Jr., assistant teaching professor of English at Abington.
Connor and other Abington students presented their work at the annual undergraduate research fair, known as ACURA, last week. They will also present their work at the annual Penn State Eastern Regional Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will feature presentations from students enrolled at eastern Penn State campuses on April 26 at Abington. Research will include work in the arts and humanities, STEM and social sciences. It is open to the public.
Q: What is your thesis behind “Not Saving Places”?
Connor: We live in an age where many Americans struggle to answer the question, “What does it mean to be an American?” U.S. Route 66 was once a testament to the United States’s reputation as a cultural melting pot, in which all are welcome. From the caves to the mountains, from Chicago to Santa Monica, the diversity of the American landscape was what once brought the American West to life. Migrants moved westward in pursuit of farmland or Hollywood, and some found a different home along the way. But what happened to the homes they built, the businesses they conceived from the ground up, when they were no longer there to preserve the legacies they left behind?
Q: How did the topic and research evolve?
Connor: My research centered around documenting the lack of preservation of Historic Route 66. Known as the American Road or the Mother Road, 66 is an icon of classic Americana. This year, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66 being certified as the first fully paved United States highway. Organizations across the country are celebrating the milestone, but what fewer are focusing on is what happened after the route’s decommissioning in 1985 when it was deemed obsolete due to modern highway design.
Jimmy Pack originally chose this topic as the theme of the 2026 edition of The Abington Review, the campus arts and literary magazine, because of the anniversary. We’ve been going with road themes for a few years now because of their versatility and possibility.
Q: What forces impacted Route 66 in the last 70-plus years?
Connor: When the Interstate Highway Act was passed in 1956, much of Route 66 was bypassed and cut off from the public. Once the road of travel, the scenic route was chopped up in pursuit of something more efficient. Businesses closed, families relocated, and entire towns, like Two Guns, Arizona, vacated practically overnight and remain empty to this day.
A number of organizations, like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, have made efforts to protect what remains of the route. Currently, the goal is to earn federal protections for these remnants, so they can’t be demolished or abandoned like so many others.
Q: What do you hope people learn from “Not Saving Places”?
Connor: It’s easy to brush off U.S. 66 as a remnant of a past America, something that must be phased out to make way for the future. But Historic Route 66 is exactly as the name suggests: historic. It may very well be the last instance of the American Dream truly being fulfilled.
Migrants and travelers stopped in a place they had never been before, raised businesses out of nothing, and gave their children lives better than the ones they had. But after the decommissioning, all these dreams fell apart without a glimpse of a second chance. By preserving these places, by documenting what has happened to the landmarks that were once emblems of America, we can save what little Route 66 history we have left.
Q: How are you taking this project a step further as the editor-in-chief of The Abington Review?
Connor: My research project will culminate in the 2026 Abington Review. I’ve been developing the art for the magazine, incorporating different styles from the decades during which Route 66 was still commissioned and functioning including precisionism, pop art and neo-expressionism. It’s been fun experimenting with different styles, researching the places on 66 and deciding which art styles to adapt to which attractions.
Take a deeper dive into Connor's project and others presented at the annual Abington undergraduate research fair and watch the videos highlighting their work.
Undergraduate research is a component of the Abington Experience, a roadmap that launches students from campus to career.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington, home to nearly 3,000 students and just minutes from Philadelphia, offers 26 four-year majors and 14 NCAA Division III athletics teams. The Abington Experience launches students from campus to career through internships, leadership development, short-term academic travel and faculty-led research. Penn State Abington — where the city’s energy meets the best of the suburbs.